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UEFA reject Fletcher appeal

11 May 2009 - 16:38:14

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UEFA have rejected Manchester United's appeal against Darren Fletcher's red card in the Champions League semi-final second leg win against Arsenal.

Fletcher was sent off late on in the 3-1 win at the Emirates Stadium for a professional foul on Cesc Fabregas, although the Scotland international appeared to play the ball.

UEFA's ruling means that Fletcher will definitely miss the final showdown with Barcelona in Rome.

Barca duo Dani Alves and Eric Abidal will also miss the Rome showpiece after their appeals were also thrown out by European football's ruling body.

Abidal was sent off in the 1-1 draw at Chelsea which saw the Catalans progress on away goals, while Alves picked up his third booking of the season in the same game.

A statement from UEFA read: "The Control and Disciplinary Body decided not to admit the protest submitted by Manchester United in relation to midfielder Darren Fletcher's red card in the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg against Arsenal.

"Similarly the Control and Disciplinary Body did not admit Barcelona's protest against the red card of Eric Abidal and the caution of fellow defender Dani Alves in the semi-final second leg against Chelsea.

"All three players are therefore suspended for one UEFA club competition match and will serve their bans when Barcelona meet Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League final in Rome on 27 May.

"In reaching its decision, the Control and Disciplinary Body concluded (i) that the protests had not been submitted within the required 24-hour deadline of a match for filing protests - as specified in the disciplinary regulations - and (ii) that even if they had been admitted they would have been rejected as unfounded as there were no grounds for contesting the referees' original decisions.

"The decisions of the Control and Disciplinary Body can be appealed within three days of the dispatch of the written decision."