In light of a statement issued by UEFA just minutes before today’s draw, ThibautCourtoiswill be able to take on Chelsea in the Champions League semi-finals. Up until this morning, the Belgian goalkeeper’s eligibility for a potential clash with his parent club had been called into question, with Atlético allegedly having to fork out €3 million per leg to allow him to play. However, UEFA’s statement on “integrity of competitions” has cleared up the issue, ruling that any such clause would be “null, void and unenforceable”.
UEFA statement on integrity of competitions:
In response to media reports referring to the situation of Club Atlético de Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, UEFA would like to reiterate its position. Related Items The integrity of sporting competition is a fundamental principle for UEFA.
Both the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations contain clear provisions which strictly forbid any club to exert, or attempt to exert, any influence whatsoever over the players that another club may (or may not) field in a match.
It follows that any provision in a private contract between clubs which might function in such a way as to influence who a club fields in a match is null, void and unenforceable so far as UEFA is concerned.
Furthermore, any attempt to enforce such a provision would be a clear violation of both the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations and would therefore be sanctioned accordingly.
