UEFA has reinstated Glasgow Celtic in the Champions League despite them being defeated 6-1 on aggregate score by Legia Warsaw in the third round of the tournament. UEFA awarded Celtic the ‘walkover’ victory due to Legia fielding Bartosz Bereszynski, who was still supposed to be serving a suspension from last year’s Europa League, that according to BBC.
Bereszynski was handed a three-game suspension after Leiga’s final Europa game last season for violent conduct. He sat out both legs of Leiga’s second round victory of St. Patrick’s Athletic, and the first leg against Celtic. However, Bereszynski was not registered with the team for the games against St. Patrick’s, so they did not go towards his suspension.
"We have spent eight years working towards this and now it has been taken away from us,” said a Leiga official. “Financially, it's unimaginable and the players are shattered."
Leiga has five days to appeal the ruling.
As a result, Celtic will go on to play Slovenian side Maribor in the fourth round of the Champions League, and Legia will now enter the Europa League, where they will meet Aktobe of Kazakhstan.
"Legia played well against us, they put in good performances but this is nothing to do with Celtic. It is about UEFA,” said Celtic manager Ronny Deila. “It is a tough decision and I really feel sorry for Legia, but we have to go into the game and prepare for Maribor.”
If Celtic defeats Maribor they will go onto the group stages of the Champions League, which is reserved for Europe’s 32 top teams.
Three years ago Celtic enjoyed a similar ruling from UEFA, as they were reinstated into the Europa League after losing to Swiss side Sion, who fielded five ineligible players, reports the Irish Times.
Celtic is not complaining, as the Scottish Champions who just so happen to have a four-leaf clover on their emblem, have lucked out yet again.