Tottenham dumped out of Europa Conference League
Tottenham Hotspur have been eliminated from the Europa Conference League after Uefa ruled that they forfeited their final group game.
Spurs declared themselves unable to fulfil the home fixture against Rennes on 9 December due to a Covid-19 outbreak among players and staff.
No new date could be agreed between the clubs, with Uefa insisting the match had to take place this month, so the governing body awarded Rennes a 3-0 win.
The decision means the French club finish top of Group G, ahead of Vitesse Arnhem of Holland. Tottenham are third, meaning they and NK Mura of Slovenia are out of the competition.
Tottenham reluctantly accepted Uefa’s decision but criticised the governing body’s intransigence over scheduling.
“We are disappointed by the ruling of the Uefa Appeals Body and the refusal to allow more time for the match to be rescheduled,” Spurs said.
“We have to accept this ruling, however, and our focus now turns to the competitions we remain in.”
The Rennes match was the first of three consecutive fixtures that Tottenham missed due to the Covid outbreak, which forced them to close their training ground.
Spurs returned to action yesterday in the Premier League with a 2-2 draw against title-chasing LIverpool.