Anyone know why the player was ineligible? If it was something as petty as what happened with that Sunderland player last season this is a disgrace.
Pathetic. Celtic should hang their heads in shame if they've complained about this. UEFA definitely should.
They did'nt expect to win a one horse race, GTF. They fully expect to win the league as there is no competition and therefore qualify for the chamions league. Your second part is correct.
Champions League qualifying is a whole different level compared to what we've got in Europa league qualifying. There's some very tough ties in CL qualifying, and I do believe Celtic wouldn't budget for reaching the group stage, it would be very risky as it's by no means a formality for a club like themselves. Arsenal are in the next qualifying round for the CL, gives some idea about the strength of sides.
According to the Mirror, in 2010: European football's governing body fined Hungarian outfit Debrecen £15,000 but rejected a protest from opponents Litex Lovech to have them expelled from European competition, after they fielded an ineligible player in similar circumstances. Debrecen were leading 4-1 on aggregate before using Peter Mate as a late substitute, and UEFA ruled they had "no interest in fielding this player for the last three minutes of additional time, when the score was so clearly in its favour." So, surely Legia can claim the same and seek consistency in decisions made by UEFA.
"BREAKING NEWS: Legia Warsaw unsuccessful in appeal against expulsion from the Champions League. Celtic will remain in the competition."
****ing diabolical. He served his ban. They messed up on the paperwork. It had no effect on the result. It's a ****ing joke.
Disgraceful as per usual from those ****s at UEFA. They probably thought having Celtic remain in the UCL would make more money than Legia. Legia were 6-1 up ffs when the lad came on. And he came on for 2 minutes! When Debrecen did the same thing a few years ago, UEFA fined them because Debrecen had already been winning comfortably when the ineligible player came on for them. Is 6-1 no longer considered comfortable?
If I was a Warsaw fan I'd be setting myself on fire in the street about now.* * Dear Poles, please don't set yourselves on fire - this is merely a satirical comment.
And so they should, football governing goodies have been corrupt, inept and void of common sense for far too long. Well done Warsaw.
Utter bollocks. I can't bear the thought of those ****s dropping into the Europa League and possibly coming to the KC though. I hate Celtic fans.
Drebecen had an ineligible player while Legia had a suspended player. That makes all the difference as far as UEFA are concerned. As should be obvious to anyone, a cameo appearance by an ineligible player for three minutes has little influence on the match result when being 4-1 up, but a cameo appearance by a SUSPENDED player for three minutes when you are 6-1 up is just not acceptable. Everyone can see that - just ask Rumpole of the Bailey or "Just call Saul" from Breaking Bad to explain the logic behind it.