Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte has confirmed that Tottenham will take legal action following UEFA’s decision to award Rennes with a 3-0 win on the last matchday of the Europa Conference League group stage, which consequentially eliminated Spurs from the tournament after Spurs failed to show up for the match.
Dismal defeats away to Vitesse Arnhem and NS Mura meant that Spurs needed to beat Rennes on matchday six to stand a chance of advancing from the group to the knockout stages.
Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte in the press briefing ahead of West Ham clash in the EFL Carabao cup. | PHOTO: Getty Images |
However, a Covid-19 outbreak at their Hotspur Way training ground meant that Tottenham requested to postpone the game, and despite attempting to rearrange it before UEFA’s deadline of December 31, they were unable to do so and were deemed to have forfeited the match.
UK based Evening Standard reported on Tuesday that Spurs are seeking legal advice due to lost earnings, though will not appeal their elimination in court and club sources are not confident that any revenue will be legally recovered.
And Conte revealed later that day that Spurs will not take the decision lightly.
When asked if Spurs will take further action and take the matter to court, Conte replied: “Yeah, there is another step [to take].
“UEFA took this decision [to eliminate Spurs] but there is another step. We are confident that in another step, they take a normal decision – not a decision in our favour, but a normal decision. It was incredible what UEFA did.
“[The] explanation about this defeat I have read, ‘Tottenham couldn’t play the game for Covid cases’.
“But we are very, very confident for the next step because we deserve to play [for] qualification on the pitch, not in court. I’m very disappointed in UEFA for this decision.”
Spurs’ elimination from Europe does boost their chances of success domestically, however. Conte’s positive impact at the club is becoming increasingly evident, most recently culminating in an impressive 2-2 draw with Liverpool on Sunday.
Tottenham conference is well in the hunt for a top-four finish in the Premier League, while they host West Ham in the EFL Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday evening and have been drawn at home to League One side Morecambe in the FA Cup.
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