Lennon expects Celtic to get tough over Sion saga

Senior Sports Writer

Thursday 20 October 2011

The Celtic manager expects Lawwell to fight to ensure they are not disadvantaged by any rescheduling of matches should the Swiss club win their claim for reinstatement.

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Ronnie Cully

The Celtic manager expects Lawwell to fight to ensure they are not disadvantaged by any rescheduling of matches should the Swiss club win their claim for reinstatement.

Lennon said: “It has really dragged its feet. We’re now into the third game in the group. It just seems to be ongoing and never ending.

“Hopefully, we’ll get some kind of answer by the weekend, one way or the other, and there will finally be closure on it.”The worst of the options under consideration, as far as Lennon is concerned, would see Sion parachuted into a five-team group, and everyone forced to find room in their fixture calendars for two more European ties between December 15 and mid-February, when the knockout round is due to begin.“That’s a scenario you want to avoid,” he said. “I’ll speak to Peter and the powers that be over what’s best for the players. But I can’t really comment on it until we know what the outcome is going to be.“It’s not an ideal scenario, to be playing European football in January and February. You want to play later on in the season, if you can.”Lennon admitted he was surprised that UEFA had not managed to better control the unprecedented situation. He added: “I thought we’d seen the last of it when we [Celtic] got back into the group and started the competition. So I don’t know what line Sion are going down. As far as I was concerned, the matter was closed, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.”Asked if he believed the events of the last few weeks had made a mockery of the Europa League, Lennon suggested Celtic would be making a strong case to UEFA. “I don’t know what Uefa’s stance on it is, but it seems to be that we can’t get an answer to this and I just find it very surprising. I think there will be scope for negotiations on Friday,” he said.Peter Lawwell will represent Celtic in discussions with UEFA over the possible rescheduling of Europa League fixtures.

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Lennon expects Celtic to get tough over Sion saga

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