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UEFA denies Maribor protest, clears Bocanegra for Europa League eligibility

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Photo by David Bernal/ISIphotos.com

U.S. national team captain Carlos Bocanegra was at the heart of a minor controversy regarding his eligibility for Rangers' UEFA Europa League playoff round first leg against Maribor last week, but UEFA has cleared the Scottish club of any wrongdoing involving its newest acquisition.

Bocanegra joined Rangers from St. Etienne and was entered into Rangers' Europa League squad as a last-minute wildcard addition just prior to the roster deadline. Maribor alleged that Bocanegra's involvement in the first leg in Slovenia should not have been allowed considering that he hadn't yet secured his UK work visa and couldn't play domestically last weekend.

Had Rangers been found guilty of the infraction, it would have had to concede a 3-0 defeat in the first leg instead of the actual 2-1 scoreline, which would have made overturning the deficit in Thursday's return leg at Ibrox Stadium a much more difficult task.

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Comments

  1. Did I read that right that a forfeit is 3-0? Does that mean if you win the first leg by 4 goals you can just forfeit the 2nd leg?

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  2. Not only that I heard that Bradley’s head is bald because his brain actually emits nuclear radiation deadly to most normal humans, causing him to lose his hair. Baby Bradley also inherits this characteristic.
    PS, Cesc, loved your work at Arsenal, buddy. Wish you’d stayed a Gooner

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  3. Not only that, but Klinsmann uses only distilled unicorn tears and the blonde locks of angels to write out his rosters. Bradley otoh used the blood of clubbed baby seals, and if the club ever broke, he would make another out of non-clubbed baby seals.

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  4. This is Klinsmann, not Bradley, so end of week means Monday. And then maybe by Friday next week we’ll know for real. After he actually talks with all the players’ clubs

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  5. on the surface it sounds like he shouldnt have been allowed to play. He wasnt cleared to work for rangers, though the “work” was performed outside of the UK.

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  6. It did seem a bit odd for him to be able to play in a continental competition but not a home game. But I guess a lot of things that go on in Europe and the UK Football community are at times odd.

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