The match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium against Rennes was scheduled for December 9 but was cancelled due to a Covid-19 outbreak in the squad.
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Tottenham Hotspurs have been eliminated from the Europa Conference League after UEFA declared that the club’s postponed match against Rennes would be considered a forfeit. The match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was scheduled for December 9 but was cancelled due to a Covid-19 outbreak among the Spurs squad. UEFA had already stated that the game would not be replayed, and their latest decision resulted in Antonio Conte’s side losing the match 3-0 by forfeit, placing them third in Group G.
Spurs’ Premier League games against Brighton and Leicester were also cancelled as the surge in Covid cases among top-flight squads continues to disrupt the schedule. The club will not play any European football in the new year, according to a statement issued by UEFA on Monday.
“Following several positive cases of Covd-19 that were identified from players and staff of Tottenham Hotspur FC, the 2021/22 UEFA Europa Conference League group stage match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and Stade Rennais FC – scheduled to be played on 9 December 2021 in London, United Kingdom – could not be played,” the statement read.
“The matter was submitted to the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body, for a decision to be taken in accordance with Annex J of the Regulations of the UEFA Europa Conference League (2021/22 season). Based on the Article 30 (4) of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations and given the urgent circumstances of the matter, the ad-hoc chairman of the Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body referred the case to the Appeals Body.”
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“The Chairman of the UEFA Appeals Body took the following decision: 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 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),” it concluded.
According to Rennes’ statement on the eve of the cancelled match, Tottenham did not want to announce the number of players affected by Covid in a video conference with them and UEFA, despite the fact that the rule states that a match must be played as long as the team has 13 outfielders and a keeper. Tottenham was accused of causing ‘London fog.’
Conte had revealed earlier in the day that eight players and five members of staff had tested positive for Covid-19. Rennes had already secured first place in Group G, but they advanced alongside Vitesse after Spurs finished third with only seven points. Conte’s side played their first game since December 5, drawing 2-2 with Liverpool on Sunday afternoon in a game dominated by VAR drama.
