Swiss club Servette avoids bankruptcy

The president of Servette says the Swiss club averted a threatened bankruptcy hearing by paying part of its stadium cleaning bill.

Servette's problems raised fears that the nine-team Swiss Super League could lose another club. Neuchatel Xamax was declared bankrupt last month, becoming the first to leave midseason since Servette went bust in 2005.

Majid Pishyar explains on Servette's website that he paid 30,000 Swiss francs ($32,500) of an 86,000 Swiss francs ($93,400) debt to the company which cleans the city-owned Stade de Geneve. The club also was reportedly in arrears on a six-figure electricity bill.

Pishyar warned that Servette could lose its league license.

The Iranian businessman says ''it saddens me greatly'' that Geneva doesn't support its club.