Uh-oh.. Need to look for another GK and CB...

[UpweySaint]

Seems like a v dodgy decision with little consistency ...

[Danger Mouse]

Previous situations have seen only a fine.

 

In the early 90's... Leeds were awarded a 3-0 win (original score 4-1) after Stuttgart fielded an ineligible player (substituting in a 4th foreign player, only 3 were allowed at the time). The first round leg was 0-3, meaning that originally the aggregate score would've been 4-4 with Stuttgart winning on away goals. After the 4-1 score was changed to 3-0 the aggregate score was 3-3 with no away goals. A play-off match was ordered to be played at a neutral venue, Barcelona, which Leeds won 2-1.

 

...just saying.

[patred44]

Bit heavy handed for what was only a 2 minute appearance as sub.....

[SNSUN]

Unbelievable. I'd hate to be a Legia fan right now. From a purely selfish point of view our bad summer continues. I hope we can still pursue the Celtic duo or have other targets in mind.

 

If the decision stands through appeal then today is Christmas Day for Celtic fans.

[lloydie]

Wow. Just, wow. Fair play Alps, a lot of people ridiculed you - but unfortunately you were spot on here! However I think the punishment is very harsh on Celtic as he hardly affected the game when he came on. But rules are rules!

[Leicestersaint]

My God here are a lot of smart-Alec know-it-alls on here!

 

I don't think we should pursue Forster any longer anyway because the price that Celtic are holding out for is unreasonable - better to go for Marshall or someone else.

[Batman]

Already covered last night on the rumours thread. WUM

 

[Saint_clark]

Seems like a v dodgy decision with little consistency ...

 

To make such a big decision in less than 24 hours is ridiculous to me.

Hope they win the appeal, not for Forster or whatever, but because it's an absurd decision.

[lloydie]

My God here are a lot of smart-Alec know-it-alls on here!

 

I don't think we should pursue Forster any longer anyway because the price that Celtic are holding out for is unreasonable - better to go for Marshall or someone else.

 

Marshal isn't as good (IMHO) and also, Cardiff want a similar fee or perhaps more (IIRCC)

[farawaysaint]

To make such a big decision in less than 24 hours is ridiculous to me.

Hope they win the appeal, not for Forster or whatever, but because it's an absurd decision.

 

They had to, draw is today.

[kpturner]

My God here are a lot of smart-Alec know-it-alls on here!

 

I don't think we should pursue Forster any longer anyway because the price that Celtic are holding out for is unreasonable - better to go for Marshall or someone else.

Oh the irony!

[buctootim]

I think Forster will be announced today or Monday regardless. Absolutely unjust decsion though.

[UpweySaint]

Some people are never happier than when they have something to complain about eh!

 

We're doomed....

 

Or, more likely, we may have to increase our offer for our targets or look at alternatives we certainly have considered.

[Oldeuboi]

I think a fairer punishment would be fining Legia for failing to register the player for the 2 games he "sat out".

 

I would hate to be a Celtic fan. Imagine the smashing they'll receive in the next round!

[Matthew Le God]

Absolutely unjust decsion though.

 

Although it may appear harsh as the sub had no influence on the outcome, UEFA have to set a line somewhere or you get grey areas. Legia should have been fully aware the player shouldn't be playing, its their own fault and they brought in on themselves. Bloody idiots!

[Batman]

celtic have got Maribor

 

every chance they will get their shyt together and have a better chance of getting through

should imagine they will pull the plug on any player sales now

[Matthew Le God]

should imagine they will pull the plug on any player sales now

 

Why? They didn't last summer when Norwich and Saints came calling. What is different this summer?

[Batman]

Why? They didn't last summer when Norwich and Saints came calling. What is different this summer?

 

because they have been utterly embarrassed and have been given a 2nd chance

 

unless you think they will now just roll over when they have a favourable draw in a chance to net them millions £££

[Matthew Le God]

because they have been utterly embarrassed and have been given a 2nd chance

 

unless you think they will now just roll over when they have a favourable draw in a chance to net them millions £££

 

They reached the Champions League group stages last season which got them millions, yet the still sold Hooper and Wanyama to Premier League clubs before they got there.

[Batman]

They reached the Champions League group stages last season which got them millions, yet the still sold Hooper and Wanyama to Premier League clubs before they got there.

 

Well, I look forward to forster being a saint within the next few days then

just seems strange why the wait so far. reports being 'waiting for celtics CL future to be decided' and why we all looked for the result the other night

Edited 8 August, 2014 by Batman

[Matthew Le God]

Well, I look forward to forster being a saint within the next few days then

 

I didn't say that did I? All this may well delay the deal until after the playoff game in late August, but I still think Forster will be a Saints player by the end of the window regardless of Celtic reaching the group stages or not.

[Batman]

I didn't say that did I? All this may well delay the deal until after the playoff game in late August, but I still think Forster will be a Saints player by the end of the window regardless of Celtic reaching the group stages or not.

 

which was my point

[buctootim]

Although it may appear harsh as the sub had no influence on the outcome, UEFA have to set a line somewhere or you get grey areas. Legia should have been fully aware the player shouldn't be playing, its their own fault and they brought in on themselves. Bloody idiots!

 

Grey areas? Do judges always pass the same sentence regardless of the offence? As Legia said an individual made a mistake, unfortunate but it had no efffect on the game. They won 6-1 and would still have won with 10 men on the pitch for the last three minutes.

Edited 8 August, 2014 by buctootim

[The9]

Wow. Just, wow. Fair play Alps, a lot of people ridiculed you - but unfortunately you were spot on here! However I think the punishment is very harsh on Celtic as he hardly affected the game when he came on. But rules are rules!

 

It doesn't necessarily have any effect on us signing Forster or Van Dijk though. In fact we might have completed the transfer in the period between the result and Celtic finding out they may be reinstated. Difficult to stop a transfer when the player's had his head turned (as we may or may not be seeing with Schneiderlin, who was noticeably absent from yesterday's "green screen" video).

[KelvinsRightGlove]

Stupid mistake.

 

But does seem a bit harsh.

[Wes Tender]

This decision to award Celtic the decision is a travesty that will have everybody laughing at UEFA. They are already accused of bumbling incompetence and of bribery and corruption and now you can add crass stupidity to the list.

[FloridaMarlin]

Fielding a player under suspension is always viewed as a worse crime than fielding an ineligible player, whether that's Uefa applying the ruling or Hampshire FA.

[SaintRobbie]

Have to say I am more concerned that van Dijk is likely to go to Newcastle.... or not!

[pangy]

Cant see this having any impact on the players we are supposedly in for,sure Celtic would love to have the £15-20 mill we might be offering for those 2 players and buy 4-5 players to give them some depth/quality when it was obvious to see they needed in the CL game the other night

[georgeweahscousin]

Well I certainly misjudged the severity of that one....

 

Odd decision, but within the rules.

[pap]

It beggars belief, really. Commercially motivated behind the scenes?

[buctootim]

Fielding a player under suspension is always viewed as a worse crime than fielding an ineligible player, whether that's Uefa applying the ruling or Hampshire FA.

 

Its still a technical offence though. The player was suspended for three European games and accordingly Legia didnt play him for three games. The Celtic second leg was the first game back after suspension - except it turned out a back office dinlo hadnt registered him as available for the previous games.

[fish fingers]

I wonder if they would have made the same decision had it been Celtic breaking the rules in that manner.

[The9]

Should a UEFA official at the game not have noticed the error too, and omitted him from the team?

 

It's not UEFA's responsibility to assist a club with naming their team, it's the club's responsibility to ensure they meet the rules. It's UEFA's responsibility to ensure violations of their regulations are dealt with if that is not done.

[FloridaMarlin]

Its still a technical offence though. The player was suspended for three European games and accordingly Legia didnt play him for three games. The Celtic second leg was the first game back after suspension - except it turned out a back office dinlo hadnt registered him as available for the previous games.

 

Most of these offences are technicalities as clubs clearly don't do this intentionally in the hope they can clip him in without anybody noticing it. You may be able to do it in the Southampton Junior League Division 3 on a Saturday where you can slide him in as a ringer, but probably not in a Champion League game.

 

It does seem a harsh punishment for somebody who came on for a few minutes at the end of a dead tie, but they have broken the rule. The rules have to be black and white because the moment you allow exceptions, then other clubs will attempt to drive a coach and horse through them.

[buctootim]

I wonder if they would have made the same decision had it been Celtic breaking the rules in that manner.

 

Exactly. They got another tie overturned three years ago in similar circumstances. Smells fishy to me.

[The9]

I wonder if they would have made the same decision had it been Celtic breaking the rules in that manner.

 

Obviously they would have, if they want their competitions to have any semblance of fairness.

[buctootim]

Obviously they would have, if they want their competitions to have any semblance of fairness.

 

Reversing an emphatic 6-1 result because of a paperwork error isnt a semblance of fairness.

[The9]

It beggars belief, really. Commercially motivated behind the scenes?

 

Legia shouldn't have given them the opportunity to do it.

[The9]

Reversing an emphatic 6-1 result because of a paperwork error isnt a semblance of fairness.

 

Of course it is, the winning team played a player who was suspended. Every other side in the competition has managed to adhere to the suspension rules.

[Turkish]

Of course it is, the winning team played a player who was suspended. Every other side in the competition has managed to adhere to the suspension rules.

 

When the Legia manager went to submit his team didn't he get a notificaton flash up on his computer screen that said player was inellidgable??

[buctootim]

The rules have to be black and white because the moment you allow exceptions, then other clubs will attempt to drive a coach and horse through them.

 

You can have black and white rules but the punishments have to be shades of grey.

Edited 8 August, 2014 by buctootim

[pap]

Legia shouldn't have given them the opportunity to do it.

 

Can't argue with that. I do wonder whether there would have as been much CL interest north of the border without any Scottish representation though, or indeed, if a huge cache of deep-fried Mars bars is now winging its way to a gluttonous Polish match fixer in a very greasy brown envelope

[KingdomCome]

The effects of a failing bureaucracy.

Every rule should be open to discretion for situations that require it.

[saint si]

Its still a technical offence though. The player was suspended for three European games and accordingly Legia didnt play him for three games. The Celtic second leg was the first game back after suspension - except it turned out a back office dinlo hadnt registered him as available for the previous games.

 

This is very relevant - Legia followed the spirit of the rules. I.e. the player did actually serve his 3 match suspension!

[Ewell]

Wow. Just, wow. Fair play Alps, a lot of people ridiculed you - but unfortunately you were spot on here! However I think the punishment is very harsh on Celtic as he hardly affected the game when he came on. But rules are rules!

 

It's not like everyone on this forum to shout a load of ****** and jump to a conclusion now is it?

 

Well done Alps.

[The9]

The effects of a failing bureaucracy.

Every rule should be open to discretion for situations that require it.

 

They have used discretion, they decided the rules had been broken and penalised Legia the match 3-0. Previously they'd ignored a similar situation with Debrecen, but that player was ineligible not suspended.

 

The implication is that had Legia won the first leg by more goals they'd still have gone through. As if discretion hasn't been used - if that is a rigid rule it sets all kinds of precedents for sides leading by more than 3 goals just forfeiting the second leg (to keep down travel costs and the risk of new suspensions) rather than risking a 4 goal defeat, and also for any side winning by more than 3 to field anyone they like, registered or not.

[The9]

This is very relevant - Legia followed the spirit of the rules. I.e. the player did actually serve his 3 match suspension!

 

But he didn't, because he wasn't registered as a Legia player for the first two matches. You can't serve a suspension for a team you're not registered for!

 

Without punishing this they're also allowing the precedent that players could claim to be playing for a different side to serve their suspensions when their actual team doesn't have matches.

[Shroppie]

This is very relevant - Legia followed the spirit of the rules. I.e. the player did actually serve his 3 match suspension!

And do UEFA manage the suspension? Seems strange that the fact that the earlier matches didn't count only came to light now.

[CB Saint]

If a professional team in the Champions League cannot sort out something as important as player registration then, quite frankly, they deserve any punishment the authorities choose to hand out.