Turkey must play next six games at neutral venue

Turkey have been ordered to play their next six home matches at a neutral ground and behind closed doors following a fracas at their World Cup qualifier against Switzerland in Istanbul.

FIFA said yesterday that two Turkish players, Alpay Ozalan and Emre Belozoglu, would be banned for six matches as would Switzerland's Benjamin Huggel who admitted kicking Turkish assistant coach Mehmet Ozdilek.

Turkey were also fined 200,000 Swiss francs ($154,200). A number of other players and officials from both teams received fines and suspensions.

The sanctions, which apply to official matches and not friendlies, are among the most severe handed out to a national association and will hit Turkey's chances of qualifying for the next European Championship.

Turkey are in qualifying Group C along with European champions Greece, Norway, Bosnia, Hungary, Moldova and Malta.

Turkey's football federation said it would appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Switzerland won November's two-legged play-off to qualify for the 2006 World Cup starting in June at the expense of Turkey, semi-finalists in 2002.

Huggel's ban means he will be suspended for all of Switzerland's World Cup matches, unless they reach the final, and is also likely to miss games at Euro 2008.

Ozdilek has been ordered to stay away from soccer for 12 months for his part in the incidents. He resigned after TV pictures showed him attempting to trip a Swiss player as they left the pitch.

Television pictures showed defender Alpay kicking Swiss forward Marco Streller in the players' tunnel after the game.

FIFA held a meeting on Monday and yesterday at their Zurich headquarters to decide the punishments.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter, a Swiss, said in November he was hopping mad at the damage to soccer's image caused by the fracas.