Real Madrid face being left with egg on their faces after it
emerged that only one of their two winter signings, Klaas-Jan
Huntelaar and Lassana Diarra, can be fielded in the Champions
League.
The club released a statement claiming that they have a
"different interpretation" of UEFA regulations that state only one
player who has already played in Europe this season can be
registered.
Dutch striker Huntelaar played in the Champions League with Ajax
while Diarra represented Portsmouth in the UEFA Cup prior to both
players agreeing deals which will see them move to Madrid on
January 1.
Madrid made the statement in response to an article in today's
edition of Marca which claimed the club would be forced to choose
which of the new signings to add to the Champions League squad.
Madrid's statement suggested the club will argue before UEFA
that the rule should not apply to Diarra as he played in the UEFA
Cup, not the Champions League.
"The club's lawyers were aware of the fact that one of the two
aforementioned players couldn't be registered to play in the
Champions League due to an interpretation of a UEFA regulation, but
they nevertheless think there can be another interpretation of
articles 17.17 and 17.18 of the said regulation as they believe it
tries to avoid the compromising of the competition by a footballer
participating with a new team when he had previously done so with
another," the statement said.
"It seems obvious to them that there is no risk of this
happening since the player participated in two different
competitions. The club will therefore make its argument known to
UEFA."
Madrid's statement also denied that the double signing
represented a panic buy with injuries cutting into the squad as
they have fallen 12 points behind Barcelona in the Primera Liga,
leaving them in fifth place.
Diarra and Huntelaar will provide cover for Mahamadou Diarra and
Ruud van Nistelrooy, both of whom are out for the season with knee
injuries.
"The signings of Huntelaar and Lassana Diarra, as well as other
signings that could follow, came about due to necessities of the
club - derived from numerous and serious injuries suffered by key
players - that had to be addressed, but they could in no way fail
to be part of a mid- to long-term plan.
"This is proven by the sums of money that were invested in the
signings and by the fact that the new players' contracts last for
more than four years."
