Chile risk World Cup expulsion

(GETTY IMAGES)

FIFA have written to Chile's football authorities warning they risk expulsion from next year's World Cup if they do not prevent a Chilean club side from taking their appeal against relegation to the civil courts.

Former Primera Division outfit Rangers have appealed to the Chilean courts of justice after being deducted three points for fielding an ineligible player, a punishment which led to their demotion from the top flight.

FIFA's statutes prevent civil or political intervention in football matters, and the governing body gave Chile's National Association of Professional Football 72 hours to intervene in the Rangers case in a letter sent to Chilean Football Federation president Harold Mayne-Nicholls yesterday.

"Please urge your association-affiliated club, Rangers, to withdraw the appeal before the ordinary courts of Chile within the next 72 hours, or otherwise... decide appropriate sanctions... in accordance with Article 64, sec. 3 of the FIFA statutes," the letter, signed by FIFA secretary general Markus Kattner, stated.

"If your association does not take the necessary steps as we have indicated, the matter may be submitted to the FIFA Executive Committee at its meeting on 3 December 2009 in Cape Town, South Africa, so that this body consider imposing suspension against the Football Federation of Chile."