UEFA declines Sevilla request
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Article summary
UEFA has declined a request for the UEFA Cup quarter-final first leg between Sevilla FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC on 5 April to be moved to another date.
Article body
UEFA has declined a request for the UEFA Cup quarter-final first-leg match between Sevilla FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC in Seville, Spain on 5 April to be moved to another date.
5 April
The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) had asked UEFA about the possibility of playing the game on another date, as 5 April is Maundy Thursday, a day of religious significance.
Pan-European confederation
In its reply to the RFEF, UEFA said it recognised the importance of the day and acknowledged that many visitors would be travelling to Seville. However, it explained that as a pan-European confederation, it was confronted with similar circumstances from time to time, and could not agree to moving matches based on circumstances related to festivities or other kinds of local events.
Alternative dates occupied
UEFA pointed out that it had also had to decline previous requests of this nature, and added that no different solution would be available because alternative dates were occupied.
