UPDATE 1-Soccer-Second-tier Spanish side Reus banned for three years

Spanish second division club Reus have been banned from professional soccer for three years after not paying players for several months, La Liga said on Monday.

The Spanish league's "social discipline judge" also ordered the club to pay a 250,000 euro ($285,200) fine, the statement added. The club, currently 20th in Spain's 22-team second tier, have 15 days to appeal.

Reus's future opponents this season will be given three points, while players are free to join any side that wishes to sign them, a spokeswoman for La Liga told Reuters. The Catalan club, based about 100 km (62 miles) south-west of Barcelona, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

($1 = 0.8766 euros) (Reporting by Rik Sharma Editing by Andrew Heavens and Andrew Cawthorne)