FIFA reduces Turkey's punishment

According to the Associated Press, Turkey will now play only its next three competitive home matches at neutral venues without fans — rather than the six matches originally imposed in February.

Meeting in Berlin, FIFA's appeal committee said it had received apologies from the association and also from Turkish midfielder Emre Belozoglu and Swiss midfielder Benjamin Huggel for wrestling each other to the ground at last November's game in Istanbul.

Turkey won that match 4-2, but Switzerland advanced to the finals in Germany on away goals, sparking scuffles between players and coaching staff in the tunnel. Switzerland also complained of hostile treatment from Turkish fans.

"Most notably, the Turkish football association accepted full responsibility for the incidents ... and acknowledged the damage caused to the reputation of international football," a statement from FIFA said.

Emre and Huggel will now be suspended from their national teams' next four competitive matches instead of six, it said. Fines against the association and players remain in effect.

Turkey's original punishment would be restored, FIFA warned, if "further incidents occur during these three (closed doors) matches or during any of the three subsequent matches that are not subject to restrictions."

Turkish Soccer Federation President Haluk Ulusoy welcomed the development.

"Turkish soccer had not deserved this punishment in the first place," Ulusoy told a news conference in Istanbul. "Our federation will take all measures to prevent such a disaster again."

The committee reconsidered the penalties after the association and the two players appealed to the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport. The association and players later dropped their appeal with the court, FIFA said.

The original sanctions remain in effect against two other Turkish players — defender Ozalan Alpay and midfielder Serkan Balci — and Turkish assistant coach Mehmet Ozdilek and Swiss physio Stephan Meyer, FIFA said.

They accepted the penalties and did not appeal to the arbitration court, FIFA said.

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