Trabzonspor are set to miss out on next season's Uefa Champions League after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Thursday dismissed their appeal against a one-season ban imposed by Uefa.
Trabzonspor finished second in the 2019/20 Turkish Süper Lig season with 65 points, four points adrift first-time league winner İstanbul Başakşehir FK.
"The challenged decision is confirmed and Trabzonspor remains excluded from participating in one Uefa club competition," CAS said in a statement.
It said the sanction had first been imposed after determining in July 2019 that Trabzonspor had failed to be break-even compliant as required by a 2016 agreement and that it had then failed to meet a target fixed for the 2019 financial year.
The financial fair play rules were introduced in 2011 and were designed to stop teams spending more than they generate themselves, a move aimed mainly at stopping rich club owners from buying success with large cash injections.
Trabzonspor recently defeated Alanyaspor to lift Turkish Cup at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium.
Başakşehir are now set to be joined in the Champions League next season by Beşiktaş while Sivasspor, Alanyaspor, and Galatasaray SK will take part in the Europa League.
Ekuban made 26 appearances for Trabzonspor, scored nine goals and provided nine assists in all competitions so far this season.