The move by the Turkish Football Federation to strip Fenerbache of last season's championship - and the subsequent place in the UEFA Champions League - has the potential to overshadow the entire European competition.

On the eve of the draw for the group stages of this season's version of the premier European football competition, Fenerbahce's expulsion should put the entire European football community on notice.

After months of painstaking research, the TFF has found that up to 19 matches from their championship-winning season in 2010-11 are under investigation, and over 30 people have been jailed in connection to the scandal.

It has even caused the start of the upcoming Turkish season to be delayed by a month.

And don't think that this isn't a big deal. Fenerbahce are the Turkish equivalent of Chelsea, Manchester United, Inter Milan, Bayern Munich, Barcelona or Real Madrid; depending on where your allegiances lie.

Stripping the 2010-11 title from the Turkish giants, would be like the AFL revoking Collingwood's 2010 premiership in the wake of a similar scandal.

What I'm trying to say is this is a huge deal.

And while UEFA itself has not issued the sanction on Fenerbahce, they have clearly supported the heavy-handed punishment, previously warning that any team found guilty of match fixing would suffer potentially dire consequences.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter has even said that convicted match fixers will be "banned for life".

Ah, Sepp Blatter. The man at the helm of world football, determined to fight corruption. The knight in shining armour, riding over the horizon on his trusty white steed.

Wait...

This is the same Sepp Blatter that, when corruption whispers regarding his presidency reared their ugly head in January, appointed himself as the man to search for corruption.

The same Sepp Blatter that denied allegations of corruption and ‘vote-buying' during the campaigns for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosting rights before finally admitting that, yes indeed, the system was flawed.

And my personal favourite, the same Sepp Blatter that promised $1billion in developmental funds to the 208 countries that would vote to decide his fate, during his bid for reelection as FIFA president. Of course Blatter ultimately was reelected, as conveniently, no one tabled a rival bid.

Really Sepp?

How can FIFA and UEFA support such monumental - and potentially crippling - punishments for Fenerbahce, when there are such deep suspicions about the transparency and governance at world football's headquarters?

That, of course, does not in any way excuse Fenerbahce of their sins.

They have committed hideous crimes against the football world - most importantly its fans - and should be severely punished for their actions. Taking into account forecasted earnings from Champions League participation, the expulsion from this year's competition will cost Fenerbahce approximately $29 million. A price they should have no complaints about paying. The case could be made for Fenerbahce to suffer a stringent, extended ban from competing in any European competition, and that they should be stripped of all points in the top flight of Turkish football.

The book should well and truly be thrown at Fenerbahce; any less than that would be seen as lenient.

Force the club to endure their reprimand and pay the price for their deceit, without so much as a whine or grumble.

Yet, the entire footballing community should be in uproar at the hypocritical powers-that-be, that are at the helm of the once "beautiful game".

But, until he gets his own house in order, it ill behoves Sepp Blatter to be banging the drum loudest about fighting football corruption.