Wednesday 4 February 2015 17:18, UK
CFR Cluj have been deducted 24 points by the Romanian Football League due to their inability to deal with spiralling debts.
The Railwaymen, one of the most successful clubs in the Black Sea country in the last decade, have fallen on hard times and owe nearly £15m to the state, former players and coaches.
Cluj have played in the group stages of the Champions League three times, including a famous victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford in 2012, won three league titles, three national cups and two Supercups between 2008 and 2012.
Last November, players at the financially troubled club threatened to boycott a league game because of unpaid wages and bonuses.
The decision means the cash-strapped side slip from second to bottom in the 18-team Romanian league with 10 points, a point behind Rapid Bucharest.
Cluj's lawyer said the club will appeal the sanction, adding that they filed for insolvency on Wednesday. Another six Romanian clubs, including Dinamo Bucharest and Rapid, also filed for insolvency in the past two years.
Many Romanian clubs face considerable infrastructure difficulties and are struggling to meet administrative, legal and financial conditions laid down by European soccer's governing body UEFA.
