Playing in the UEFA Champions League is a dream for most footballers and their clubs. As the most prestigious club competition in the world, second only to the FIFA World Cup in global allure, it represents the pinnacle of European football.
But for a few clubs, that dream has been snatched away not by sporting failure, but by disciplinary action.
Over the years, four clubs have faced bans from participating in the Champions League, a punishment that not only sidelines them from glory but can also impact their financial and sporting futures. Heres a look at the teams that were barred from Europes grandest stage.
1. Besiktas Turkey One-Year BanOne of Turkeys biggest football institutions, Besiktas, were handed a one-year ban from the Champions League in 2013. The club had successfully navigated the qualifying rounds, defeating Norwegian side Troms to reach the competition properonly to be disqualified due to allegations of domestic match-fixing.
Their appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport CAS was rejected, and Troms, the very team they had beaten, took their place in the tournament.