The Celtic duo have suffered an international blow after the UEFA took a controversial decision which is expected to attract a lot of media attention.
For almost a month now, the decision to hold international games in the middle of a global pandemic has been questioned by fans and media alike. A number of players have tested positive while away with their international sides, something Celtic will know very well.
Of course, it is hard not to see why that is the case. It is much easier to keep things in control in the sporting bubble of a club. But when players from around the world report to a national camp and then travel to multiple countries in the space of days, the chances of being exposed to the virus are naturally increased.
One of the side’s that decided to take action after one of their players tested positive are Norway. The Norwegian players were reportedly waiting for their flight to take off when the authorities prevented them from travelling.
As a result, they could not play the Nations League game against Romania. And UEFA have decided to declare it as a walkover and hand the Romanians a 3-0 victory:
CONFIRMED!
— Dale Johnson (@DaleJohnsonESPN) November 18, 2020
UEFA announce Norway FORFEIT their Nations League game away to Romania on Sunday that was postponed after Norway were banned from travelling due to a positive COVID test.
Romania are given a 3-0 win.
This means Northern Ireland are therefore relegated to League C.
More from Celtic FC News
- Celtic handed fresh injury doubt before Feyenoord game
- Celtic’s £40.7 million announcement should scare Rangers
- Brendan Rodgers makes superb claim about returning Celtic player
- BBC pundit makes sensational claim about Celtic hero Kyogo
- Kyogo Furuhashi sends clear message to Celtic doubters
Northern Ireland have been hit harder by this decision than Norway (who sit at second in their group). They have been relegated to League C after managing just a solitary point from their first 5 games and with just a single game left to be played.
The Celtic duo of Mohamed Elyounoussi and Kristoffer Ajer were of course part of the Norwegian team that decided to hold firm. They are already back in Scotland.
And while there were some confusion regarding their situation, it has now been confirmed by Celtic that they will be take part in training as well as the upcoming match against Hibernian. Naturally, this is a huge boost for the Hoops as the duo have been two of the best performers for the club over the last few weeks.