Wayne Rooney Attends UEFA Hearing, Has Euro Ban Reduced To Two Matches
By Alan Duffy
While he will no doubt now be steeling himself for the indignity of Thursday night European football, Wayne Rooney at least received some good news on the morning after United’s shock exit from the Champions League.
The re-haired striker rocked up to UEFA HQ this morning, along with Fabio Capello and host of FA bigwigs, in attempt to get his three-game EURO 2012 ban (for kicking out at Montenegro’s Miodrag Dzudovic) decreased – and what do you know, the appeal worked, with the European football authorities deciding to knock one game off the ban.
However, if he is sent off again, the ban for the extra match will kick in, while Rooney has apparently also agreed to do some kind of coaching in the community malarakey.
Rooney will still miss the opening two games of the tournament, against France and Sweden, but will be available to face Ukraine in what could be a vital game for the Three Lions.
It may not make up for his side’s embarrassing Champions League exit, but it’s better than nowt.
Interestingly, will this outcome now encourage clubs in England to challenge FA decisions more often? I suspect so.
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Probably better off without him on the basis of last night’s performance….
Sets a dangerous precedent. He deserved the 3 match ban for violent conduct. I imagine it was reduced because of the status of the player and the Euros will have greater appeal to neutrals if he’s playing.
Fucking disgrace. Rooney gets away with it every fucking time.
It’s because he’s on the cover of FIFA :)
Good for him. I’m glad (and surprised) to see that these organisations can choose not to consider things so black and white all the time. Apparently, Dzudovic wrote letter in support of Rooney – good on him.
Now Wayne, you just need to make it count!
This is gonna stir a lot of shit!
he acted with the intent on hurting someone and, as much as i’d love him to play, i’m upset that UEFA caved.
Capello still has a difficult decision to make. I wouldn’t gamble. For me Rooney is out of tournament. We’ll see.
@Sarti: I agree, and England definitely don’t need him, but can you see Capello, or indeed any England manager having the balls to make the right decision and drop him?
come on england!!
I’m an England fan through and through but this is wrong. UEFA don’t want the embarrassment of a celebrity footballer like Wayne Rooney missing the tournament. They need the marketing potential.
Boo!
from 3 to 2, well thats not worth it, could as well have left it as it was, say England lose their 2 first games, then no need to play him in the 3rd
by tyhe time he plays his first game Capello will have fucked it up so badly against the frogs and the swedes it won’t matter, and Capello’s mentality is such that he probably wont’t pick him!
I hope that England crash out of the tournament now because of this.