Another classic moment of amateurism from Europe's governing body as Arsenal forward Eduardo's two-game ban has been rescinded. Whether or not he dived - and not to complicate matters but he probably was guilty of 'simulation' at least to the extent as to exaggerate the amount of contact - the reaction by UEFA to suspend the Croatian and then to accept an appeal, annulling the ban, displays the weak will and over-reactionary nature of the group.
The decision to ban Eduardo came 6 days after the event, seemingly enough time to counsel the referee, his assistants, the fourth official and the match video from every possible angle. When the announcement came, and in doing so brandished the Arsenal player a cheat, it should have and indeed appeared to be final. Again, rights and wrongs if the judgement aside, when UEFA dropped the hammer, the matter seemed over.
Not so.
13 days later and UEFA revoke their own authority under pressure from Arsene Wenger and Arsenal, a powerful player on the European stage, and allow the striker to perform in just 2 days against Belgian champions Standard Liege. Why should this surprise anybody? The original action arose after pressure and coercion from the Scottish FA, desperate for some quasi-justice for Celtic being outplayed and defeated by the London club.
It begs the simple question, what's changed UEFA's mind?
The video? The same. The referee's report? Unchanged. The circumstances, the media response, the attitude of one of Europe's central clubs? Ah, now it all becomes clear.
It will get swept under the carpet. It won't really matter. It will be soon forgotten and the next zeitgeist will become blog fodder in cyberspace but if anybody needed ammunition against UEFA and their juvenile and hollow responses to football's day-to-day, here it is. Unsettling. Really unsettling. Isn't this meant to be Sepp Blatter territory?
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