Asian champs Jeonbuk appeal ban

Asian club champions Jeonbuk Motors of South Korea have appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against their ban from the 2017 Asian Champions League.

Jeonbuk were set to take on A-League club Adelaide United in Group H but the Asian Football Confederation ruled Korea's Jeju United FC would take their place because of their involvement in a 2013 bribery scandal.

Jeonbuk were docked nine points and fined by the K League's disciplinary committee in September for payments a club scout made to referees in 2013.

"Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors seeks an order staying the execution of the challenged decision in order to be able to participate in the competition," CAS said in a statement, adding that it intends to issue a decision by February 3.

Jeonbuk, who finished second in last season's K League Classic, were crowned Asian champions in November after sealing a 3-2 aggregate victory over Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates.

In May, prosecutors charged two referees in South Korea's top league with accepting bribes totalling five million won (A$5600) from a Jeonbuk Motors club scout, with three payments of one million won (A$1100) made to one official and two to the other.

The scout was sentenced to a six-month suspended jail term for bribery by the Busan District Court.