Alisha Lehmann’s Aston Villa could find themselves in hot water after fielding January signing Noelle Maritz illegally in their Conti Cup clash.
The Villans might see their impressive 7-0 victory over Sunderland overturned after Carla Ward fielded Maritz during Wednesday evening’s Conti Cup group stage clash. Maritz, who appeared as a second-half substitute in the match, happens to be cup-tied after she played three times for Arsenal in the same competition during the season, including a crucial penalty shoot-out victory over Tottenham Hotspur.
The potential breach falls under Conti Cup rule 8.14, addressing the fielding of ineligible players. If found guilty, Villa could face significant consequences, including the overturning of the match result and a referral to an independent tribunal who will have the authority to award the match to the opposition.
The Football Association are investigating the incident as the rule states: “Any Club found to have played an ineligible Player in a Cup Match or Cup Matches shall be in breach of these Rules and the matter shall be referred to an Independent Tribunal for determination pursuant to Rule 3.7.1(d).
“Subject to Rule 8.14.3, the Independent Tribunal may: (a) order that the Cup Match or Cup Matches be awarded to the opposition Club; or (c) make any such other order that the Independent Tribunal may decide.
“The Independent Tribunal may determine not to order that the Cup Match be awarded to the opposition Club only in circumstances where the ineligibility is due to the failure to obtain an International Transfer Certificate or where the ineligibility is related to the Player’s status.”
The situation becomes more intricate as point distribution could impact the overall standings if Sunderland get the three points. In that case, they would accrue 10 points, which would see them go past Manchester United. This scenario could further complicate matters if Tottenham Hotspur, who are on seven points beat Southampton on Thursday, resulting in multiple teams with 10 points. Villa would be on nine if they get their points chalked off but would finish higher than United, thanks to a better goal difference. In this scenario, the Red Devils would be knocked out of the competition.
The incident mirrors a similar violation a decade ago when Reading faced expulsion from the competition. Although Villa has yet to comment, they might face a similar fate as Reading upon the conclusion of the FA investigation. Nonetheless, they would look to put the incident behind them and go for the three points when they face United on Sunday in the WSL.
