Where Tottenham supporters stand on pending UEFA decision
By Gary Pearson
The Tottenham and Rennes match will not be rescheduled, so where do Tottenham supporters stand on the UEFA’s pending decision about what happens next?
The entire situation is pissing a lot of people off. And who can blame them. With Spurs’ Europa Conference League future hanging in the balance, supporters look to UEFA to show a semblance of compassion. That, however, is optimistic thinking.
Tottenham took the right course of action in trying to mitigate the spread of Covid-19. The club should be rewarded for their behaviour. Instead UEFA might condemn Spurs to an early exit from Europe’s third tier competition.
If Spurs had more than 13 healthy players at their disposal in the lead up to the Rennes match, UEFA could very well decide against the Antonio Conte’s men.
That thinking, however, is flawed. Since the outbreak came to light, Spurs have seen a number of players pop up with positive results over the course of the last week. Who knows what could have happened had Spurs allowed the match against Rennes to continue as planned. Instead Spurs, in theirs and their oppositions best interest, made a stand.
Rennes should have taken the higher ground and commended Spurs decision. Instead the French outfit, like a petulant child, had a tantrum and made it almost impossible to find an amicable solution. Inflexible in trying to find a date to reschedule prior to the Dec. 31 deadline, Rennes have done their utmost in trying to seal Spurs’ European fate.
Tottenham are at fault for not cementing their place in the next round earlier. There is no question Spurs must shoulder some of the blame. This conundrum, had they not unravelled against minnows Mura, would have never come about.
Neither Rennes or Vitesse are willing to show Spurs good faith, a bitterly disappointing scenario considering the current state of the pandemic. Spurs should not be punished for their wholesale attempt at trying to slow the spread of the virus. And UEFA, regardless of whether Spurs had the required 13 healthy players to play the match, should take that into account when they make their final decision, expected at some point before Monday’s draw for the next round.