Bizarre mix-up hands Celtic Champions League lifeline

Celtic were dramatically granted a Champions League lifeline after their 0-2 second-leg defeat to Legia Warsaw in the third qualifying round was overturned.

Legia had won the first leg 4-1.

Uefa had found that Legia had used an ineligible player by bringing on defender Bartosz Bereszynski in the dying minutes of the game at Celtic Park, thus awarding a 3-0 win to the Scottish champions.

The result made the aggregate score 4-4 and saw Celtic progress on away goals while Legia dropped down to the Europa League.

For their good fortune and their opponents' incompetence, Celtic have been drawn against Slovenian champions Maribor.

Celtic manager Ronny Deila had some sympathy for his opposite number at Legia and compatriot Henning Berg, saying that the circumstances were "very strange". But now Deila is looking forward as the team "are preparing for Maribor".

Suspended from last season

According to AFP, the problem with Bereszynski's eligibility started last season after he was sent off for violent conduct in Legia's final Europa League match, earning him a two-match ban.

While he sat out Legia's second-round qualifying matches against Irish club St Patrick's as well as the first leg of their tie against Celtic, Bereszynski was not registered by by his club for the second round and deemed not to have completed his suspension when he came on as a substitute... for about FOUR minutes.

Adding insult to injury, Bereszynski will have to sit out Legia's next game to complete his original suspension.

The administrative bungle was certainly a costly one for Legia, and you can be sure that somewhere in Poland...

Thanks Russell Peters.

Source: AFP