Joan Capdevila a surprise exclusion from the Benfica squad for the UEFA Champions League playoff
Spanish International http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Joan-Capdevila-c18631 has been a surprise exclusion from the Benfica squad that is to take on Dutch club FC Twente in the UEFA Champions League play-off on the August 16.
Capdevila was signed from Villarreal by Benfica recently in the summer but is yet to make his debut for the club.
The highly-rated defender was nearing the end of his career and chose to move to the Portuguese Primeira Liga with Benfica in a bid to enjoy game time regularly and at a high level.
Although the Spaniard completed his move in July, he is yet to take to the pitch for his new employers. Originally scheduled to make his first appearance for the Eagles in the UEFA Champions League qualifier against http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Trabzonspor-c40759, La Roja International missed
the vital encounter as he failed to register his documents on time.
As a resultant, fellow new signing Emerson was deployed as an attacking left-back and Capdevila had to endure an unnecessary spell on the sidelines.
After missing out on his earlier opportunities, he was expected to be in the squad for the play-off against http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/FC-Twente-c39233 but again his name is nowhere to be found on Jorge Jesus’s roster.
The former Espanyol man was left out because the club had already filled the team with 17 foreigners and the current rules of UEFA do not allow for more quota limit players to be added.
Due to the stringent rule, the 33-year-old is again expected to be on the stands during the two-legged affair, something which has saddened Capdevila according to his agent, Horacio Gaggioli.
“That is strange news. Capdevila I know that is far from its normal, but expected it to be registered,” said Horacio Gaggioli of the statements made in the Renaissance.
“If you're sad? I think so. He wanted to play but do not know what happened. I will still try to talk with officials from Benfica,” the agent was quoted as saying.
With Capdevila ruled out for the match, Benfica manager Jorge Jesus is again likely to rely on Emerson to fill the void on the left side of the backline.
Tags: