Legia devastated after admin gaffe own-goal

Legia could have lost over 20 million euros after UEFA ruling: photo - PAP / Bartlomiej Zborowski

“We thought we had a good chance, But it has been taken away from us because of this little technical mistake in the administration,” a devastated Legia coach Henning Berg said after the possibility of reaching the group stages of the Champions League was ripped from their grasp after a 2 - 0 win over Celtic last Wednesday.

TV rights and gate receipts for Champions League group stage matches are worth over 20 million euros to each of the clubs taking part, but a failure to name player Bartosz Bereszynski - who came on to the pitch for just three minutes at the end of the Warsaw clubs 2 – 0 win over Glasgow Celtic last Wednesday and winning 6 – 1 on aggregate – in the squad list for the three matches which he was banned from taking part after a red card he received in February, have cost Legia dear.

“[T]he player Bartosz Bereszynski has been suspended for one additional UEFA competition match for which he would be otherwise eligible. The suspension shall be added to the remaining two-match suspension which the player still has to serve,” a UEFA statement said last week when announcing that Legia were elliminated from the fourth qualifying round of the Champions League.

The ruling means that because of a small administrative error, Bereszynski will now effectively sit out a six-match ban and not for three match

Celtic coach Ronny Deila expressed his sympathy for Legia's plight.

“I feel very sorry for Legia [they] played well against us, they put in good performances. But this is nothing to do with Celtic. It is about UEFA.

Sympathy was not on display when Polish football association (PZPN) chief Zbigniew Boniek commented on the situation, however.

“Legia have only themselves to blame,” he told the Przeglad Sportowy daily. “The rules are clear”.

Legia are appealing the decision. (pg)