LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Sport’s highest court has refused to reinstate Metalist Kharkiv in the Champions League, clearing PAOK Thessaloniki to face Schalke in the playoff round.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport says a judge dismissed the Ukrainian club’s request to freeze its expulsion by UEFA for match-fixing while an appeal proceeds.
PAOK, which lost to Metalist in the previous round, plays Schalke in the first leg next Wednesday.
The return match is in Greece on Aug. 27. The winner advances to the 32-team group stage draw two days later.
UEFA disqualified Metalist on Wednesday after CAS upheld a five-year ban for the club’s sports director in a Ukrainian league match-fixing case.
UEFA’s Champions League rules require that clubs not be implicated in fixing any domestic or international matches since April 2007.
