UEFA will meet next week to decide whether to overturn its decision to order Dynamo Kiev to play their Champions League game against Manchester City behind closed doors.
Fans from both clubs are banned from the round-of-16 first-leg tie in the Ukraine on Feb. 24 after Kiev were punished for the racist behaviour of their supporters in a group match against Chelsea in October.
UEFA has told ESPN FC that Kiev have appealed against the decision, and it will be considered at a hearing on Tuesday, Feb. 2.
European football's governing body has ordered Kiev to play three European home games without fans at their 70,000 capacity NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium as punishment for offences including racist behaviour and crowd disturbances. They were also fined €100,000.
The club have already played one game behind closed doors as they won their final Group G match against Maccabi Tel Aviv on Dec. 9 to qualify for the knockout stages -- although the official attendance was recorded as 475.
Should UEFA uphold its decision, it will be the second time in successive years that City fans have been unable to attend an away fixture in the Champions League.
In October 2014, travelling supporters were excluded from the group game against CSKA Moscow after the Russian club were punished for violence and racist chanting.
The decision caused further anger when hundreds of Moscow fans could be heard cheering on their side. City skipper Vincent Kompany said after the game: "Why the hell do we not have any fans here? What have our fans done wrong? There's no fairness in it."