Lyon risk a technical defeat in the Europa League — what’s happening?

In the opening round of the UEFA Europa League, Lyon played away to Utrecht and secured a narrow 1–0 victory. However, new reports suggest that the French club could now be handed a technical loss.

Details: According to ESPN, the Dutch club has filed an official complaint to UEFA against Lyon. The issue stems from the fact that a player who was not registered for the Europa League made an appearance. In the 65th minute, Rachid Ghezzal came on as a substitute, and ten minutes later, he provided the assist for the only and decisive goal of the match.

However, Ghezzal was not included in Lyon’s official Europa League squad list. UEFA has since launched an immediate investigation into the incident and has already suspended the player from the competition. Lyon now face the prospect of having their victory annulled, with Utrecht potentially being awarded a technical win.

Reminder: On Thursday, October 23, UEFA Europa League and Conference League matches will take place, though two fixtures are set to kick off at adjusted times.