FCBARCELONA.CAT

11.05.2009 18:29

Abidal and Alves appeals turned down

www.fcbarcelona.cat

UEFA’s Disciplinary Committee has turned down Barcelona’s appeals against the red card given to Abidal and the yellow shown to Alves at Stamford Bridge. Both will miss the Rome final.

Josep Guardiola will not be able to call up either Éric Abidal or Dani Alves for the Champions League final which pits Barça against Manchester United in Rome on 27 May.

One match ban

UEFA’s Disciplinary Committee has rejected the club’s appeals about the cards given to the players in the return leg of the semi-final clash with Chelsea. That means both players have a one-match ban and will miss the final.

The UEFA Committee pointed out that the appeals were lodged outside the 24 hour deadline after the end of the game, though even if they had been admitted they would probably have been turned down as lacking reasonable grounds.

The cards

Abidal got his marching orders in the 66th minute of the game after a foul on Anelka. Dani Alves picked up a yellow in the 30th minute for repeated fouls, and thus racked up enough to get him suspended.