Sébastien Haller has been accidentally excluded from the Ajax Europa League squad for their last-32 tie with Lille OSC.
Ajax May Be Without Sébastien Haller For Europa League
Haller Joined Ajax From West Ham United During the January Window
Recently joined Sébastien Haller has been mistakenly omitted from the revised Europa League squads for the upcoming knockout phase, after the official lists were confirmed by UEFA.
It is not yet clear whether the error was caused by Ajax, the Dutch FA or UEFA, but club officials have confirmed they are in talks to amend the mistake.
If it emerges Haller was left out because of the club then he will not be able to be registered for the match.
Haller Hit Stride Since Ajax Switch
Haller has made an immediate impact since joining Ajax from West Ham United in January, netting twice and assisting on four occasions.
The Ivorian is yet to lose since joining the Dutch side and Ajax are sitting comfortably at the top of the Eredivisie table with a seven-point lead.
Ajax fell into the Europa League after finishing third in their Champions League group. They lost their final group game to Atalanta, which saw the Serie A outfit progress ahead of Ajax.
They’ll face fellow Champions League dropouts Lille in the first knockout round, with the first leg scheduled for February 18, 2021.
Europa Glory a Prospect for Ajax
There was a time when Ajax were the most considerable force in European football – three consecutive European Cups between 1971 and 1973 were spearheaded by the eternal legend of world football Johan Cruyff.
Ajax returned to the pinnacle of European football in the 1990s, winning a UEFA Cup and Champions League under the management of Louis van Gaal.
But Ajax haven’t tasted European glory since that 1995 Champions League success and are yet to win the Europa League in its current form.
A Europa League final defeat in 2016 against Manchester United, was met with a crushing Champions League semi-final blow against Tottenham Hotspur two years later.
Erik ten Hag will be hoping the latest crop of talents will inspire Ajax to their first European trophy in over 20 years, but whether or not they’ll have the help of marksman Haller awaits to be seen.
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