|
|
Schalke fail in Drogba protest
Feb 27, 2013 8:42:00 PM
Uefa has dismissed S04’s appeal questioning the Ivorian's eligibility to represent Galatasaray during their Champions League clash
Uefa have confirmed that they have rejected a protest from Schalke over the eligibility of Galatasaray striker Didier Drogba.The Bundesliga outfit lodged an appeal over the Ivorian's inclusion in the Super Lig winners' Champions League squad, with general manager Horst Heldt claiming it would be "negligent" if they did not do so.
Galatasaray themselves dismissed speculation that they fielded Drogba illegally as "nonsense", and Uefa has now backed up the Turkish side's stance.
A statement released on its website read: "Having examined all the documents of the case, the Control and Disciplinary Body decided to reject the protest lodged by Schalke."
The German side's head of finances Peter Peters insisted in a statement on the club's official website that they would respect the decision, adding that they were only seeking clarity on the issue.
"We said from the beginning this was just to make the situation clear," he said. "And to get that was only possible by protesting, since it was the only way the necessary documents would be checked. That is what happened. We will respect Uefa's verdict."
Galatasaray later realeased a statement confirming the news to their supporters, underlining that Uefa had rejected Schalke's protest "in the light of documents presented" to the governing body's committee.
Drogba joined Galatasaray in January on a free transfer which was ratified by Fifa, after terminating his contract with Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua over claims of unpaid wages.
The 34-year-old will now be free to play for Fatih Terim's side in the return leg of their Champions League tie in Gelsenkirchen on March 3.
| Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
|
| Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
|
| Sign up to Paddy Power for £250 in free bets |
|
| Sign up today with Coral and get a £50 FREE bet - no strings attached! |
|
| Sign up today with BetVictor and get a £25 FREE BET! |
|
Related Stories
Inside Goal.Com
-
Preview: Siena - AC Milan
Massimiliano Allegri's men are in control of their own destiny and only need to better Fiorentina's result to qualify for next season's Champions League
-
Preview: Barcelona - Real Valladolid
The Catalan giants clinched the league title last weekend and could rack up a century of points in La Liga if they win their three remaining matches for the season
-
The stars bidding farewell to the Premier League
With the EPL waving goodbye to a host of managers, players and clubs, Goal takes a look at the key figures making their final outing in English football's top flight - though some could return in another capacity ...
-
In Pictures: Beckham's emotional farewell
After a fairytale 20-year career in which he has scaled the peaks of football, Becks brought the curtain down on his playing days by captaining PSG to a 3-1 win over Brest on Saturday
-
Cartoon: The EPL's Golden oldies take to the stage
Goal.com cartoonist Omar Momani gives us his unique take on the football news of the day
