Reaction To Celtic’s Champions League Return
So once again Celtic have managed to get back into a European competition due to their opponents making a bit of a clerical error.
Let me start off by saying I feel for Legia Warsaw, especially their players and the fans. For them, the whole saga stinks and that the decision from UEFA to boot them out due to Bartosz Bereszynski (who was officially suspended) taking to the field for the last four minutes seems harsh. The tie was already dead and buried.
But in fairness to UEFA the rules clearly state if you play an ineligible player then you forfeit the tie and lose it automatically 3-0. Thus meaning Legia actually lost on away goal, a very bitter pill to swallow.
I would imagine someone in Warsaw is getting their balls booted as we speak. But you can see where the confusion took place. Bartosz Bereszynski did miss the first tie and also missed the previous round, thinking he was observing his suspension. But the Legia Warsaw management team failed to include him in the opening rounds squad, thus he hadn’t missed those two matches according to UEFA. For me, UEFA should be better at informing clubs of how they should react to suspensions, especially when that suspension falls over two seasons.
Now we have a huge social media reaction to the controversy. Many believe Celtic shouldn’t be placed into the next round as they were well and truly beaten by Legia. But lets be fair to Celtic, if you followed the rules and the other team didn’t then you’d hope to be reinstated and seek that £20m bounty that comes with qualifying for the Champions League proper.
The fact the player was supposed to be suspended will be the reason UEFA acted with such severity. Had he simply been an overlooked new signing then maybe a fine would have been sufficient.
Now we also have Celtic fans gloating about still being in the Champions League, come on now behave yourselves. You got pummelled and embarrassed over two legs, accept the lucky fact that you went through on a technicality and prepare for the Maribor fixtures. At this moment in time you’re European footballs punchline. I don’t think it shows class to celebrate another sides misfortune, especially when they were far superior in the tie.
Of course this isn’t the first time Celtic have been put through due to UEFA’s actions rather than their own efforts but I think we can all agree that the Sion case was a lot more straight forward due to the Swiss side ignoring a FIFA transfer ban.
Again I feel for Legia but lets not forget that rules are rules and need to be followed. Also I don’t think its right to blame Celtic and have a dig at them. They have played by the rules and have done what most, if not all, other clubs would do in a similar circumstance.
But who punishes UEFA? They should probably explain their rules better to teams, knowing they have suspended players carrying over from previous season. They also had an hour before kick-off for their match delegates to check the teamsheets and make sure these sort of mistakes don’t happen in the modern game.
Posted on August 8th, 2014 by scott
Filed under: Article
good article. Celtic were crap…. even my son texted me from angleterre to inform me of how crap they were. This is a huge wake up call and I feel sorry for Legia. Maybe we should show hand of friendship if we get through by giving them some sore of recomppense ? Amyway moving on….Delilah – wahts he all about – we have a dressing room in despiar at his comments, tactis and general numptiness…. get him replaced pronto, he is one of the reasons why we are in this mess…. Ihave seen 13 year olds play better football with some simple tactics – he is really poor and we will suffer again….
Had Celtic broken the rules we would have been put out yes Legia were the better team and won both the games but broken rules are broken rules and I only wish EUFA I
But lets be fair to Celtic, if you followed the rules and the other team didn’t then you’d complain and hope to be reinstated and seek that £20m bounty that comes with qualifying for the Champions League proper.
You need to check ur facts before writing any old mince.
Celtic did not not make any complaint, the issue was in fact raised by UEFA not Celtic, we accepted the result, but the fact is Legia made a mistake and UEFA unlike the crooked SFA abide by their rules.
So Celtic have gained and Legia harshly have lost out but again none of this was Celtics doing.
Andy – I said if it happened to you, didn’t say thats what they did.
Rules are rules. It’s not for UEFA or any other footballing authority to ‘babysit’ clubs. It’s for clubs to ensure they are compliant with the rules and this is the crucial matter here.
All the responsibility is on Legia, in this case, to ensure they are fully complying with the rules.
You can’t have a system where UEFA are babysitting each and every club making sure each and every decision they take complies with the rules.
I feel for Legia’s players and their fans but someone higher up in that club needs to shoulder the responsibility for this.
I was at Murrayfield and left after 70 minutes in disgust. I need to go back years to remember a Celtic team that showed such a total lack of fight. This decision probably means automatic entry to the Europa League as I cannot see the present team raising their game sufficiently to beat Maribor.
Where is all this gloating? Who is rubbing it in to Legia fans? Almost every comment from Celtic fans Ive seen starts with feeling sorry for Legia. If your meaning comments in response to low lifes like Vladimir Weiss and other bitter Rangers fans that’s a very different thing!
It was legia who contacted Uefa over the player playing..
Rapid Vienna..just saying
I agree with all of the current comments beforehand. Celtic were a shadow of the team that won the League so convincingly and were well beaten in the tie.
However rules are rules and have to be abided by and to Celtic’s credit they did NOT force this issue, it was UEFA themselves, so clearly if anyone breaks the rules by the governing body, consequences have to be paid – fact.
In Sevco’s case they broke the rules of HMRC Tax laws, they will have to pay the piper with the appeal….again, breach of rules. As so appropriately put with previous comments, this shows the SFA up as corrupt with their dealings and UEFA a shining star.
Do we have knee-jerk reactions to Ronny Delia? Yes, through frustration and humiliation, it is only natural….as my brother Brendan says….he wants to play like Barcelona….only problem is we do NOT have players on board of Barcelonas calibre, hence the mis-match. Stick to the fantastic team playing the way they did last season with the great defence in toe….Ronny maybe feels he has to change lots to justify himself?? Forget it, he inherited a very sound team that plays very well….leave it and learn from mistakes…to play Berg who has only played 2 games in a year and throw him into a crucial decider was a massive error….maybe Collins will get more of an input as a result of Ronny’s foleys….we want our team back to the way they were.
Good luck against Maribor! Mon the Hoops.
It is actually very heartening that a governing body actually follows and implements the rules. SPFL and SFA take note!
If it had happened in reverse and it was Celtic that were in this position lets be honest we would be on the floor P*****G ourselves laughing.
Andy – I said if it happened to you, didn’t say thats what they did.
Sorry but that statement, the way that it is used seems to point to the fact that it was Celtic that complained.
-You got pummelled and embarrassed over two legs, accept the lucky fact that someone found a loop-hole and prepare for the Maribor fixtures-
This also looks as though you are saying that Celtic fought the issue. This didnt happen. To find a loophole is to find a way to go through when you shouldnt. If UEFA find that Legia have done something wrong, and throw them out because of it, that is not a loophole. That is them applying the rules.
If you write your scorecard down incorrectly in Golf, you’re out.
Ok even though it wasn’t a dig & wasn’t stated as fact I have taken out the part about complaining as it caused confusion.
Gerry someone did find a loophole, it was correct and Legia were dealt with. That is fact and I never said that Celtic fought it. You read it that way.
Bert – UEFA should be on hand to help clubs and enforce their rules. Simple.
Also lets not go all out with UEFA love. They fail to act properly on numerous issues like racist/homophobic chants and they endorsed Sepp Blatter for years.
UEFA regulations are very explicit and clear. They had no choice. The blame for this fiasco lies entirely in Warsaw. Nowhere else. My sympathy is with Legia players and supporters but Celtic should be grateful for the way Lady Luck has smiled and make the most of their opportunity.
Get one thing straight. There was no loophole, Legia screwed up and paid the price for their own ineptitude and broke the rules of the governing body.
We have been screwed in the past by UEFA, most notably the European Cup semi against Atletico and Rapid Vienna.
….BREAKING NEWS…….
Oscar Pistorius has sacked his legal team and instead has hired Celtic when he heard that they lost both legs and still got a victory.
Andy,if you felt that a Loophole was used, then why remove it? You know it was wrong to put that in as well as the part about complaining.
Just report facts and then we will all be fine!!
My name is Scott.
I did feel that Loophole wasn’t the right term after looking at it again. I admit that.
The complaining part – I never said that Celtic complained. I took out that particular line as it caused confusion not because it was wrong.
Also feel free to remember its just a blog, not paid for press. They wouldn’t even look at their comments. I gave my opinion on the saga.
Apologies for calling you Andy
uEFA = MAFIA, cELTIC has no honor and no shame .6-1 agg loosers !!!
wio, it was your club that screwed up, what is a ‘looser’?….oh, you mean a loser, enjoy kazahkstan in the Europa…..
Celtic has no honor. They hid once Legia officials wanted to contact them. I don’t like Warsaw but Celtic is a joke. No honor or integrity.