Villarreal replace Mallorca in Europa League

Villarreal said they have been selected by UEFA to replace Real Mallorca in this season's Europa League after the European football's governing body banned the cash-strapped club for falling foul of financial regulations. Real Mallorca finished in...

Villarreal said they have been selected by UEFA to replace Real Mallorca in this season's Europa League after the European football's governing body banned the cash-strapped club for falling foul of financial regulations.

Real Mallorca finished in fifth place in the Spanish league, ahead of Getafe who also qualified for the Europa League. Villarreal finished in seventh and under UEFA rules is the next in line for a spot in the lucrative tournament.

UEFA announced on Thursday that Real Mallorca would not be allowed to take part in the Europa League after the club in May went into voluntary administration. The decision has angered the club, which according to Spanish media has debts of over €60 million.

"There are many clubs that have economic problems and they play in the Champions League or the Europa League. The players earned this qualification on the pitch and it is being pulled away from them," said the club's new coach Michael Laudrup.

Club officials have said they will use all means to reverse UEFA's decision, which they have called "unjust" while the club's fans have announced they will stage a protest against the ruling.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.