December 20 – Tottenham Hotspur have been eliminated from the Europa Conference League after UEFA ruled their postponed fixture against Rennes would be deemed as forfeited.
The decision sees Tottenham finish third in Group G, three points behind Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem, who progress to the knockout stages instead of the London club and a meeting with Rapid Vienna.
The Rennes game, the last in the group which Spurs would have had to win to advance, was due to be played in London on December 9 but was called off after a COVID-19 outbreak among the Spurs squad. The outbreak also led to the postponement of Tottenham’s Premier League fixtures against Brighton & Hove Albion and Leicester City.
Tottenham had apparently offered to play Rennes in France instead of at home as they desperately attempted to find a new date for the fixture.
They also asked the Premier League to postpone their domestic fixture scheduled at Leicester last Thursday to allow them to play Rennes on that date.
The Premier League refused, then ironically the Leicester game was called off anyway because of a Covid outbreak in their own ranks – too late for Rennes to be fitted in.
“We are disappointed by the ruling of the UEFA Appeals Body and the refusal to allow more time for the match to be rescheduled,” Spurs said in a statement. “We have to accept this ruling, however, and our focus now turns to the competitions we remain in.”
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1736571040labto1736571040ofdlr1736571040owedi1736571040sni@w1736571040ahsra1736571040w.wer1736571040dna1736571040