Dampha’s club Xamax de-registered

Chechen-owned club Neuchâtel Xamax of Gambia international Abdourahman Dampha lost its license to play in the Swiss Football League on Wednesday, in a case that includes allegedly fake American bank documents.

If Xamax, which already faced being deducted eight points, fails to overturn the decision on appeal it will become the first club kicked out of the league in midseason since Servette went bankrupt in 2005.

The league’s disciplinary commission ruled that Xamax’s owners failed to provide documents relating to a change of ownership, after businessman Bulat Chagaev took over last May. The league also suspects Xamax of providing fraudulent bank letters intended to prove that Chagaev could finance the club.

“The Swiss Football League (SFL) has taken away Neuchâtel Xamax’s license for participating in championships organized by the SFL,” said the statement.

According to documents published by Swiss media, letters appearing to come from the Bank of America “confirmed” that Chagaev had access to $35 million. Chagaev is at the center of Swiss criminal investigations into suspected fraud regarding the documents.

Neuchâtel’s owner Bulat Chagaev, a businessman who hails from the volatile region of Chechnya, bought the club in May saying that he wanted to take Neuchâtel into the Champions League.

Dampha’s Xamax can appeal to the league’s decision within five days to try to recover its license. It is next scheduled to play on Feb. 4 at home to Lausanne Sport when matches resume after the winter break. Xamax is fourth in the 10-team top division, though would drop to ninth if the points deductions are confirmed on appeal.

The league took away points in two separate cases after Xamax failed to pay players’ wages and social insurance during September and October. Chagaev, who denies wrongdoing, has presided over a turbulent period since taking control of Xamax. He has fired four team coaches and former Brazil and Barcelona forward Sonny Anderson as sporting director and ended all the sponsorship contracts

Players threatened to go on strike because wage payments were late and club captain Stephane Besle was fired this month. Besle, who joined the club in 2005, left in tears after meeting with vice president Islam Satujev.

The Swiss Players’ Union complained this month that the Neuchâtel squad including Abdourahman Dampha were owed two months’ wages and described the situation as “unacceptable”.