'Bribery' puts Porto out of Champions League
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
Porto have been thrown out of next season's Champions League by Uefa, European football's governing body. The club were last month punished in Portugal for trying to influence the outcome of domestic matches by allegedly bribing referees in 2003-04, the season they won the Champions League and when Jose Mourinho was in charge of the club.
In a statement, Uefa said the alleged bribery meant Porto broke rules that ban "any activity aimed at arranging or influencing the outcome of a match at national or international level."
Porto, who were also tarnished by match-fixing allegations during the Nineties, said they would appeal.
Last month the Portuguese Football League stripped Porto of six points and fined the club €150,000 (£119,000) after investigating two matches that took place in 2003-04. There is no suggestion that Mourinho was involved.
Porto won last season's Portuguese title for the third time in a row, 14 points ahead of Sporting Lisbon.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments