Madrid Must Choose Huntelaar Or Diarrà In Europe

zocoss SG

Real Madrid will have a quandary on their hands after it was revealed that they can only register one of either Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Lassana Diarrà for the Champions League this term.

The duo will officially move to the Bernabéu in January after Los Merengues splashed out €40 million to bolster their squad after an inconsistent start to the season, Marca report.

But while their domestic ambitions will be helped by the arrival of Huntelaar and Diarrà, Madrid may have overlooked UEFA rules regarding Champions League registration.

Both the striker and the midfielder have appeared in the UEFA Cup for Ajax and Portsmouth, respectively this term and that means that Madrid must now choose between them.

According to UEFA's law 17.17 regarding player registration, clubs can "register a maximum of three new eligible players for the remaining matches in the current competition. Such registration must be completed by February 1 2009 at the latest".

But it is the following law, 17.18, that Madrid must be concerned about most: "One player from the above quota of three who played UEFA club competition matches for another competing club in the current season may exceptionally be registered, provided that the player has not been field in the same competition for another club."

That means that only one of Huntelaar and Diarrà can play in the Champions League and Marca question whether or not the Spanish giants had realised this when they signed them both.

zocoss SG

Liverpool must be happy to hear this news... Young and Lennon will not qualify as well... lol

omgukilledkenny SG

Tough decision, but i think they'll choose Diarra.

omgukilledkenny SG

Real Madrid have dismissed reports that they had not realised that only one of either Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Lassana Diarrà could be registered to play for them in the Champions League.

The Spanish giants were reported to have made a mistake by daily sports paper Marca under the headline 'Champions League Ridicule' and had to choose between their new signings.

According to UEFA's regulations clubs can introduce three new players to their squad, but only one of those can have played in the UEFA Cup already this term.

Both Huntelaar and Diarrà have played for Ajax and Portsmouth in the UEFA Cup and Marca claimed that Los Merengues were slightly red-faced about having to leave one of them out.

"The Club's Legal Services were aware of the fact that one of the two aforementioned players couldn't be inscribed to play in the Champions League due to an interpretation of a UEFA normative, but they nevertheless think there can be another interpretation to articles 17.17 and 17.18 of said normative as they believe it tries to avoid the adulteration of the competition by a footballer participating with a new team when he had previously done so with another," statement on the Madrid website read.

"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.

"Legal advice aside, both the Sports Department and the first team coach advised the Club to sign both players because they believe they will help the entity achieve its present and future goals.

"Prior to making any new signing, the Club's Services inform about all the different sporting, financial, medical and legal aspects regarding it.

"The sporting aspects are naturally more important. The signings of Huntelaar and Lassana Diarrà, as well as other signings that could currently take place, came about due to necessities of the Club - derived from numerous and serious injuries suffered by starter players- that had to be addressed, but they could in no way fail to be part of a mid to long term sports planning.

"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.

"Finally, the Club believes that by making signings only to strengthen the team for the upcoming knock-out stages of the Champions League it would be underestimating the current squad and ignoring the high expectations set on the Spanish league."

goal.com