Legia Warsaw have claimed that their Champions League knock-out was due to an honest mistake.
Twenty-four hours after apparently reaching the play-off stage of the Champions League qualifiers the Polish club were hit with the news that they had played Bartosz Bereszynski while suspended.
Bereszynski wasn’t registered for the second round qualifier against St Pat’s meaning that his three match suspension was still in place for the ties against Celtic.
In the 86th minute bungling boss Henning Berg made the substitution that will cost his club dearly- and hand Celtic a European lifeline.
“This is unjust and completely disproportionate,” said Legia official Dominik Ebebenge. “There have been similar cases in the past which have not punished in this way. This was just a basic human error.
“We have spent eight years working towards this and now it has been taken away from us. Financially, it’s unimaginable and the players are shattered.”
Legia are believed to be considering an appeal but only if it is heard by the SFA rather than UEFA.
Less than a day after delivering a post mortem on his side’s Champions League failure Ronny Deila finds Celtic two matches away from the group stage of the Champions League.
Maribor of Slovakia stand between Celtic and a £20m jackpot that will lift the gloom that has surrounded the club since the first leg defeat in Poland.
Celtic will travel to Slovenia for the first leg and return to Celtic Park for the conclusion of the tie with the pressure on the club to bring in the signings to make the most of their Champions League reprieve.