NYON (Switzerland), Aug 2: AC Milan will play in the Champions League this season.

The six-time European champions, who had been barred from Europe's top club competition by an Italian sports tribunal investigating the country's match-fixing scandal, will face either Ireland's Cork City or Serbia's Red Star Belgrade on Aug 8 or 9 in the third qualifying round.

''AC Milan have officially been admitted to the Champions League,'' the team said on its web site. The UEFA confirmed the decision.

The Italian ruling to ban Milan from the competition was overturned on appeal, and UEFA provisionally included Milan in Friday's draw for the tournament.

AC Milan, owned by former Italian premier and Silvio Berlusconi, submitted written arguments to UEFA's panel.—AP