A UEFA emergency panel has ruled that Milan can play in this season’s Champions League.
UEFA said Wednesday the panel “had no choice but to admit AC Milan” citing an insufficient legal basis in their own rules for barring the club. The governing body was worried about a legal challenge from Milan.
The emergency panel said it was “deeply concerned that AC Milan has created the impression of being involved in the improper influencing of the regular course of matches in the Italian football championship.”
“The club has obviously not yet properly perceived the troubles it is in and the damage it already caused to European football.”
Milan finished second in Serie A behind Juventus, but both clubs were implicated in the match-fixing scandal which has engulfed Italian football.
They were originally barred from the Champions League under sanctions imposed by the Italian football federation (FIGC).
However, a successful appeal was lodged and Milan were reinstated in the third qualifying round of this season’s Champions League.
The decision means that Internazionale and Roma will be Serie A’s direct entrants to the group stages, with Milan and Chievo entering in the final qualifying round.
UEFA Statement
“Having examined the request of the Italian Football Association (FIGC) to register AC Milan for the UEFA Champions League 2006/07, the submissions of the chief disciplinary inspector of Uefa, and the statements of AC Milan and the FIGC, the Uefa Emergency Panel has today admitted AC Milan to participate in the third qualifying round of the 2006/07 UEFA Champions League,” read a statement from the governing body.
“As a result, the Italian club plays the two legs of the competition’s third qualifying round as drawn on 28 July 2006 in Nyon.
“The Uefa Emergency Panel, being competent to decide on this matter, came to the conclusion that it had no choice but to admit AC Milan for the Uefa club competitions 2006/07 for formal reasons because of an insufficient legal basis in the regulations which would allow not admitting AC Milan under the specific circumstances.
“The Uefa Emergency Panel made a clear statement to the club that ‘this admission is far from being given with the utmost conviction. AC Milan takes advantage of the fact that Uefa lacks legal grounds to refuse the club’s admission. In this respect, AC Milan is herewith informed that the necessary adaptations will be made to the regulations concerned. The Uefa Emergency Panel is deeply concerned that AC Milan has created the impression of being involved in the improper influencing of the regular course of matches in the Italian football championship’.
“From the statement of AC Milan, the Panel concluded that ‘the club has obviously not yet properly perceived the troubles it is in and the damage it already caused to European football. Uefa and the club’s opponents will observe with the utmost attention the future attitude of AC Milan around Uefa club competition fixtures. Uefa will not hesitate to intervene severely, should AC Milan be involved in any activities aiming to arrange improperly the outcome of a match’.”
