FIFA had given the Swiss Football Association until Jan. 13 to discipline Sion or face suspension. The dispute began in 2009 when FIFA imposed a one-year transfer ban on the club for illegally signing Egyptian goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary.
The Swiss soccer club FC Sion was docked 36 points for using ineligible players, a move prompted by FIFA and derided by the team as a “cowardly act.”
Sion, which ignored the transfer embargo and signed six players in the offseason, has contested FIFA’s ruling in the courts despite facing increasingly harsh penalties from soccer authorities.
The Swiss federation said in a statement that it “demanded from FIFA confirmation that the suspension will not now come into effect.” FIFA said it took note of the Swiss league’s action and would consider it at a meeting in early January.
The penalty for Sion falls short of FIFA’s demand to give the club 3-0 losses. That would automatically have resulted in opposing teams gaining points deducted from Sion. Sion may continue to play in the country’s cup competition.
