AS Roma Docked Points For Fielding Ineligible Player, While Sundowns Slapped On The Wrist!

AS Roma Docked Points For Fielding Ineligible Player, While Sundowns Slapped On The Wrist! The Italian club played out to a drab 0-0 draw at Hellas Verona over the weekend. However, the draw has been overturned to an automatic 3-0 defeat for the Romans. This is after an administration error regarding Amadou Diawara’s age.

AS Roma accidentally listed Amadou Diawara as an u/22 player. The defensive midfielder turned 23 in July. How the Serie A works is that a 25-man list is drafted before each game. In each 25-man list there is an u/22 section in which an extra player can be added into the squad.

The only way an extra player is added is if he is 22 years old or younger. He should also be listed in the u/22 section. However, AS Roma listed 23 year old Amadou Diawara in the u/22 section meaning that he was ineligible to participate in the football match.

The Guinean international was supposed to be listed in the regular section of the 25-man list, not the u/22 section. Roma have consequently been docked off the point they earned at Verona. According to FIFA law when an ineligible player is fielded that equates to an automatic 3-0 victory on behalf of the opposing side.

Roma have since appealed the 3-0 defeat to no success. Roma take on Serie A champions Juventus next.

Mamelodi Sundowns Continue To Escape Relatively Unpunished!

On April 3 2019 (2018/2019 ABSA Premiership season) Mamelodi Sundowns fielded an ineligible player in Wayne Arendse.  This was in the 1-1 draw against Bidvest Wits. Wayne Arendse was not in the 18-man squad for the match, yet the officials allowed him to play the game.

Wayne Arendse and Mamelodi Sundowns were fined R250 000 each. At the time, Mamelodi Sundowns were 3 points behind Orlando Pirates with a game in hand. The Brazilians eventually won the league title.

Had proper protocol been followed Mamelodi Sundowns would’ve automatically been adjudged to a 3-0 defeat, hand the advantage to Orlando Pirates in the title race. Sundowns escaped with cheating.

In the 2020 Nedbank Cup Final, Mamelodi Sundowns included ineligible player Tebogo Langerman in the match day squad. The left back sat on the bench and collected a winner’s medal. Langerman was suspended for the match, yet he was allowed to make an appearance on the Sundowns bench. His name was also on the team list!

According to the law, a suspended player cannot be in the team list. He cannot warm up with the rest of the squad, nor can he wear the team attire. He also cannot be on the bench. Sundowns ignored all these rules as Langerman sat on the bench, wore the team kit, had his name on the team sheet, collected a winner’s medal and celebrated the Nedbank Cup with the whole squad.

This is the second misdemeanour of this nature from Sundowns. They’ve won silverware each time. The PSL should take notes from the Serie A as AS Roma docked points for fielding an ineligible player, while Mamelodi Sundowns slapped on the wrist!