Chile Soccer Team

Chile could face expulsion from the World Cup 2010, unless Chilean club Rangers dropped their court case against the national team by December 3rd.Chile is among the five South American countries that have qualified for the upcoming World Cup 2010 in South Africa. On Thursday, the governing body of South American soccer CONMEBOL said that it was notified by FIFA about the possible sanction.

Rangers used six foreign players in a league match on Nov. 8, and as a result of it, their three points were deducted. Points were deducted because they used six foreign players but the limit of the foreign players that can be used in a league match is five, which means they used one extra player. Rangers were relegated and they were demoted to the second division. The Chilean club Rangers appealed the case to a Chilean court last week.

The president of the Chilean federation, Harold Mayne-Nicholls said:

“If Rangers don’t drop the case, then FIFA could expel (the national federation) because they can’t expel a club,”

He said:

“This could bring consequences that would be deadly for Chilean football.”

According to a letter sent by FIFA to the Chile’s Football Association (ANFP):

“We beseech your association to call on your affiliated club… to withdraw the case it took to the Chilean courts of justice within the next 72 hours or… announce the pertinent sanctions against your affiliated club,”

It added:

“If your association does not adopt the necessary measures as we have indicated, the case will be put to FIFA’s executive committee in its session of December 3, 2009 in Cape Town… so it considers imposing a suspension against (the ANFP),”