Celtic progress in Champions League despite losing 6-1
Celtic make it to the next stage of the Champions League after being thrashed by Legia Warsaw – because the Polish side fielded an ineligible player in the dying moments of the match.
The Glasgow team lost 6-1 over two legs, but were awarded a default 3-0 win in the second game at Murrayfield by Uefa after it was found that Bartosz Bereszynski, who came on as an 86th-minute substitute, should not have played.
He had been suspended after being given a red card for violent conduct in last season’s Europa League.
The Polish champions, who have been demoted to the Europa League, said they had made a mistake and were being treated unjustly by Uefa. They plan to appeal against the decision.
European football’s governing body made its announcement just hours before the draw for the next stage of the Champions League, the play-offs, in which Celtic face Slovenian team Maribor.
Celtic remain in Europe’s premier football competition because by being awarded a 3-0 win in the second leg, they earned a 4-4 draw with Legia Warsaw over two matches and go through after scoring an away goal in the 4-1 defeat in the Polish capital.
‘Very strange’
Celtic manager Ronny Deila said he felt “very sorry” for Legia Warsaw, adding: “It is very strange, I have to say that. 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.”
This is the second time in recent years that Celtic, the first British team to win the European Cup (the forerunner to the Champions League) in 1967, have benefited from such a ruling.
In the 2011-12 season, they were reinstated into the Europa League group stages despite being beaten by Swiss side Sion, who had fielded five ineligible players.
Ineligibility rulings are not uncommon. In 2009, Uefa punished Poland for using a suspended player in their 2-2 draw against Hungary.
In 2005, Macedonian side FK Baskimi were awarded a 3-0 win in their Uefa Cup first qualifying round game against NK Zepce after the Bosnian team fielded an ineligible player.
Scotland’s under-21 team suffered a similar fate in 2005 for fielding Hibernian’s Steven Whittaker, who had been suspended. Italy were awarded a default 3-0 win. The Scottish Football Association said it had made an administrative error and apologised to Uefa and Italy.
