Sparta Prague are facing disciplinary action from the Czech football federation after they fielded players the club claimed were not fit to play international matches.
Sparta said strikers Vaclav Kadlec and Tomas Pekhart were ill with a virus and not able to play for the Czech Republic’s under-21 team against Holland on Wednesday, while a knee injury ruled out Croatia defender Manuel Pamic from a friendly against the Czechs.
But all the three, using different names on their backs, played against Zenit St. Petersburg in Spain on Tuesday in a warm-up for next week’s Europa League match against Liverpool.
Sparta issued an apology Thursday after Zenit published photos from the match.
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