UEFA confirms forfeit for Rennes game to kick Tottenham out of Europa Conference League
Tottenham have been eliminated from the Europa Conference League after UEFA confirmed their postponed fixture against Rennes would be deemed as a forfeit.
Antonio Conte’s Tottenham were unable to field a team for the December 9 clash due to a Covid-19 outbreak among the squad and staff. The Lilywhites wanted to reschedule the match, in which a win would have sent them through to the knockout stages
According to UEFA, the fixture would not be replayed and their latest ruling sees Antonio Conte’s side lose the game 3-0 via forfeit, meaning they finish third in Group G.
Meanwhile, in the Premier League, Spurs also saw Premier League fixtures against Brighton and Hove Albion as well as Leicester City called off as the surge in Covid cases among squads continues to affect the calendar.
Tottenham head coach Antonio Conte says his squad’s morale has been affected by the coronavirus outbreak at the club.
UEFA’s ruling means there will be no European football for the club in the new year, with a statement on Monday confirming the decision of the chairman of UEFA’s Appeals Body.
“To declare the 2021/22 UEFA Europa Conference League group stage match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and Stade Rennais FC, that was initially scheduled to be played on 9 December 2021, as forfeited by Tottenham Hotspur FC, who is therefore deemed to have lost the match 0-3 in accordance with Annex J.3.1 to the Regulations of the UEFA Europa Conference League (2021/22 Season),” the statement read.
By: Elisha Aberiganya | Follow us on Twitter @activtvgh
