|
UEFA: Real must choose between Huntelaar
and Diarra
Tuesday 30 December 2008
(AFP) — Real Madrid must choose
between new signings Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Lassana
Diarra to play in the knock-out stages of the Champions
League, UEFA spokesman William Gaillard said on Spanish
radio.
"I am very sorry, but the rules are what they
are and they cannot be changed in the middle of a season,"
he said on Onda Cero radio. "That means that only
one of the two players can play in the Champions League...
"They can include either Huntelaar or Diarra."
The Spanish champions, plagued by injuries and poor
form this season, signed Dutch striker Huntelaar and
French midfielder Diarra this month from Ajax and English
side Portsmouth respectively.
But under UEFA rules only one of them can play in the
Champions League as both have have already represented
their former clubs in Europe this season.
Real had hoped to convince European football's governing
body to agree to a different interpretation of the rule
so that both players could take part.
The club has been drawn against Liverpool in the Champions
League first knockout round on February 25 and March
10.
The club - who are fifth in the Spanish title race
some 12 points adrift of Barcelona - have suffered season-ending
injuries to key players Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy
and Malian midfielder Mahamadou Diarra.
UEFA rules for the 2008-09 season state that a club
may register up to three new players for the knockout
stage of the Champions League.
But only one of these can be a player who has represented
his former club in Europe, and provided it was in another
European competition. Both Ajax and Portsmouth were
competing in the UEFA Cup this season.
|
