Belgian club Mechelen stripped of promotion

Jun 03, 2019 06:00 am

Mechelen were stripped of their promotion to the Belgian top flight as punishment in a long-running match-rigging case.

Mechelen, who won the Belgian Cup last month, were also banned from European competitions by the national football federation and will start next season with a 12-point penalty.

The club were implicated in an investigation into suspicions of fraud related to the payment of salaries, commissions to agents and the suspected rigging of two games in March 2018 in a failed effort to save the club from relegation to the second division.

"We don't understand this decision, we're innocent. We will now study the case and consider filing an appeal," Mechelen responded on their website.

Beerschot Wilrijk will be promoted in Mechelen's place.

- AFP