Almeria face 3 point penalty over alleged non-payment for player

Spanish BBVA Primera Liga outfit, Almeria, could find their battle to avoid relegation seriously affected as the result of a decision taken by FIFA on Friday to sanction the club by the deduction of three points as the result of non-payment of a transfer fee for a former player.

The governing body of World Football has ordered the Spanish Football Federation to deduct the point as a result of Almeria's outstanding debt of 60,000 euros (around 67 thousand US dollars). The money is owed to Danish side, Aalbourg, for the signing of full back Michael Jakobsen in July 2010.

The decision could be disastrous for Almeria, who although have recovered since the appointment of Juan Ignacio Martinez, are still hovering just above the relegation zone with just 23 points from 24 games.

Should the points finally be deducted it would see Almeria slip two places in the BBVA Primera Liga table into the relegation zone, just above Cordoba and Granada.

The club has issued a communique confirming they have appealed against the decision to the Tribunal for Arbitration in Sport, which "has accepted the paperwork, so for the moment the sentence is not to be applied immediately. Almeria are relaxed about this and up to date with all of our compromises."

As a result the affair could drag on for several weeks and it is certain to cause further controversy over the coming weeks as it looks likely that if Almeria avoid relegation by a margin of less than 3 points than any clubs affected by the decision are unlikely to let the matter lie. Endi