Celtic handed Champions League reprieve
- adamhigginsuk
- Aug 8, 2014
- 3 min read
Back in the big one: Celtic have been reinstated to the Champions League despite a heavy 6-1 aggregate loss in the third qualifying round (Picture from Getty Images)
CELTIC have received a European lifeline after Legia Warsaw were thrown out of the Champions League for fielding an ineligible player.
Uefa launched an investigation after Bartosz Bereszynskiego came on as a substitute with two minutes remaining in the second leg at Murrayfield and Legia leading 6-1 on aggregate.
The 22-year-old was sent off in a Europa League game last December and, despite being left out of his side's first three European ties this season, it had been alleged that he was ineligible to play against the Hoops because he was not registered as part of the squad.
Consequently, Celtic were awarded a 3-0 default win, putting them through on away goals after a 4-4 draw and were drawn against Slovenian side Maribor in the Champions League play-off.
The Scottish champions lost the first leg 4-1 in Warsaw before a 2-0 reverse in the return leg.
"It is very strange, I have to say that. First of all I feel very sorry for Legia, and my friends from Norway there," Bhoys boss Ronny Deila said as he gave his reaction at the club's Lennoxtown training base.
"It is tough to think of that and now we are in the Champions League That is what UEFA said, we haven't been involved in anything.
"I am a football manager and I have to go with it and now we are preparing for Maribor."
The Polish champions had confirmed that Uefa were probing the claims and Legia, who have asked for the governing body's reasoning, have five days to appeal.
Legia official Dominik Ebebenge said in a statement: "This is unjust and completely disproportionate. There have been similar cases in the past which have not punished in this way. This was just a basic human error.
"We have spent eight years working towards this and now it has been taken away from us. Financially, it's unimaginable and the players are shattered."
Manager Henning Berg admitted he was "shocked" that Legia were booted out of Europe's premier competition over what he described as "a small administration error".
"It is a strange thing," the former Manchester United and Rangers defender told Sky Sports News.
"The technical mistake that our administration was not to put him in the squad for the first two games against St Patricks for him to serve his suspension.
"This mistake for him not being on this paper, without even playing, has taken away our chance of getting into the Champions League.
"It would have been a dream for this club and the players, who worked so hard to get into this position and played two fantastic games against Celtic. Everything has been taken away."
Celtic were also handed a second chance in Europe in 2011 when they were re-admitted into the Europa League after Swiss side FC Sion fielded an ineligible player.
Uefa expelled Sion from the competition with Celtic taking their place in the group stages.
However, Legia will draw hope from a precedent set in 2010 when Hungarian champions Debrecen were fined £15,000 but stayed in the competition when they argued that an ineligible player was fielded in good faith with the tie comfortably in their favour.
Last updated: 8 August 2014 14:44pm
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