Arminia Bielefeld's hopes of gaining immediate promotion back to the top flight have been dealt a blow after they were docked four points.

The East Westphalians failed to respect agreements made when obtaining a licence to play in the second division last summer and, as a result, have been punished with a points' deduction and fine of 50,000 euros.

The points deduction comes into force immediately and sees the club drop below Duisburg into sixth position, 10 points adrift of a promotion play-off with eight games of the season remaining.

Their chances of bouncing back to the top flight have therefore been drastically reduced while the club now faces an uncertain future due to financial problems which forced these sanctions.

Losses have escalated following relegation and an immediate return to the Bundesliga is widely regarded as the only way to get the club back on an even keel financially, although they have confirmed today that they do have the funds to get to the end of the season while accepting their punishment without appeal.