The Europa Conference League tie between Tottenham and Rennes will not be rescheduled, UEFA has confirmed.
UEFA rules state that all group matches must be played before 31st December. A solution could not be found following Spurs’ heavy domestic schedule this month and Rennes’ winter break.
The match was cancelled earlier this week following a Covid-19 outbreak in the Spurs team, which has led to the training ground being closed.
Tottenham vs Rennes: Europa Conference League Will Not Be Rescheduled
UEFA have released the following statement regarding our Europa Conference League fixture against Stade Rennais.
We shall continue to update supporters as matters progress.
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) December 11, 2021
Statement
UEFA said: “Unfortunately, despite all efforts, a solution that could work for both clubs could not be found.
“As a consequence, the match can no longer be played and the matter will, therefore, be referred to the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body for a decision to be taken in accordance with Annex J of the above-mentioned competition regulations.”
Spurs Forfeit Europe
Annex J of UEFA’s regulations suggests that the team who failed to fulfil the fixture will forfeit the match 3-0. The automatic defeat means that Spurs will fall three points short of qualifying for the next round and Rennes will enter the knockout rounds as group winners.
The news diminishes the chance for Spurs to win a trophy this season – a persistent talking point that hangs over the club year by year.
However, the fact that Spurs are now out of the Europa Conference League, Antonio Conte will now have one less distraction for the season. Despite it being a cliché, the Spurs manager will be able to apply a greater focus on qualifying for the Champions League.
This is important for Spurs fans’ and Daniel Levy. The supporters will undoubtedly want Tottenham to return to the top competition, while Levy will see the competition in a monetary value.
Spurs earned €4.5 million for reaching the group stage of the Conference League which was just 10% of what Chelsea received for the Champions League. The maximum a team can win in the new competition is slightly over €15 million. This is significantly less than €89 million maximum in the Champions League.
In addition, Tottenham is in the quarter-final of the Carabao Cup. If they beat West ham in the next round, their scheduling moving forward will be eased by being out of Europe. This becomes especially important when the FA Cup comes into play.
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