Morning http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/28732601 Legia Warsaw have issued an open letter to Celtic requesting a "meeting" to decide which side should progress to the Champions League play-off round. The Polish side beat the Scottish champions 6-1 on aggregate in the third qualifying round. However, Legia were then punished by Uefa for fielding the ineligible Bartosz Bereszynski in the second leg. Reinstated Celtic were drawn to face Maribor in the play-off but Legia want another chance to reach that stage. And a Celtic spokesperson said: "This is entirely a matter for Uefa and its processes. Accordingly, we will reserve further comment for the appropriate time." Legia co-owner Dariusz Mioduski praised the stature of both clubs and described Uefa's punishment as "deeply unjust and contrary to the spirit of fair play". Poles tend always to see themselves as unjust victims, Celtic have done nothing wrong and as per the rules should be allowed to stay in the competition. How do you all stand on this? Me, Celtic should stay, rules are rules.
Celtic don't deserve to be in the competition. Legia do, a silly admin error shouldn't hold them back when they gained no advantage through it whatsoever.
How can either club decide, when neither have any say on the matter? Do the Poles expect the jocks just to turn around and say' ock aye the noo, yis wis rubbed, wis genna pull oot noo, gid look ta yis'.
That's exactly what the Polish FA and Warsaw as asking. The are trying to blackmail Celtic into submission by saying it would be bad sportsmanship if they don't allow the Poles to go through. Uefa should take the Poles to task for trying to besmirch Celtics reputation with such comments. But to be honest on the Polish forums the majority of Poles are siding with Celtic. Didn't Sunderland once getting beat in a cup competition years ago and the other team fielded an illegible player and Sunderland allowed them to carry on? (Tranmere comes to mind...anybody remember) but it should be the decision of the losing team.
I think Uefa have advised Warsaw to speak to Celtic who can give them a bye through, should they wish.
Completely different competition and set of rules and totally different circumstances. Chalk and Cheese comes to mind. However, i'm sure we once allowed a team through when we were in a similar situation to Celtic. But if you use the same rules and we lost all the games 3-0 we'd still have stayed up anyway.
hmmm. personally, i think fielding an ineligible player for the final 2 mins of a tie you are winning 6-1 means you gained no advantage from it. if common sense prevails, celtic will be booted out and warsaw hit with a fine. am i correct in my understanding that warsaw thought the player had served his ban in the previous qualifying round,, the first leg against celtic being game three of the ban, but instead they had not included him in the squad for the previous round, so the celtic game was match one? not 100% on that, but if so, it's a clerical error where the punishment far outweighs the crime...
Rules are rules, can't remember the details, but what was the fuss when we got promoted instead of swindon, was that more financial, or something different?
Financial. ''Swindon Town won the Second Division playoff final but Sunderland were promoted instead on away goals after the Swindon board admitted a series of financial irregularities. Swindon were initially relegated to the Third Division and replaced by Tranmere because Swindon began financial irregularities before competing in the playoffs, the division's losing Play-Off finalists, but this decision was later reversed on appeal and it allowed Swindon to finish 4th in one division and Tranmere to finish 4th in the other division.'' I remember the Newcastle fans kicking off because they thought that as they finished higher then Sunderland they should have been promoted.
Remember it well. Tranmere had a player sent off just as they were about to make a substitution. The substitute took the place of the red-carded player! So instead of playing with 10 men, Tranmere had a few minutes with an extra player on the field.
Cant believe 2 of us remember that. Tranmere knew a player had been sent off and that they had 11 on the pitch (and it was 1-0) but Sunderland gave them the benefit of the doubt. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQEmHetn8Lk
Indeed. As with Sunderland v Tranmere it should be up to Celtic to dictate what happens. If they want to stay in the fair enough.
No mate. It's EUFA not Celtic who should dictate. They shouldn't bottle it and pass it on to Celtic. They set the bloody rules, they should grow a pair and apply them! We're talking about £10-15m quid potentially. It's a big issue and shouldn't be treated like its a local squabble between 2 clubs.
