Adelaide United FC midfielder Jonas Salley has been ruled ineligible by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to play in the AFC Champions League Knockout Stage, which begins tomorrow night.
In a blow for The Reds a day out from the opening leg of their AFC Champions League Quarter Final against the Kashima Antlers, Football Federation Australia (FFA) today informed the club that Salley is ineligible to take his place due to an AFC rule regarding a player-s nationality and residency.
Currently in Japan with the squad, Adelaide United CEO Sam Ciccarello said amendments made by soccer-s governing body FIFA to its rulings applying to national teams back in June this year meant Salley was not eligible to play.
“Unfortunately due to the amendments to the statutes which were passed through the FIFA congress in June, Jonas does not qualify to represent the Australian national team and therefore cannot line up in the AFC Champions League as an Australian/Local player,” Mr Ciccarello said.
“The amendments state that a player who has become a citizen of another country must be a resident of that country for a minimum of five years, as opposed to two years, which is what the regulation was previously.”
After Salley became an Australian citizen earlier this year, the club included the Ivorian Coast born midfielder as one of its Local players when it submitted its squad, unaware of the changes to the rulings.
“It is disappointing for Jonas and the team that he is not eligible to play. The change to the regulations that apply to the AFC Champions League have only become known to us over the last week through the FFA,” Mr Ciccarello said.
“The club has been in constant dialogue with the FFA, and they with the AFC, for a clarification on the regulation, and today the AFC confirmed that Jonas was ineligible to be registered as an Australian/Local player.”
Salley was named as a Local player in United-s squad to allow the club to select three of its Brazilians as its foreign contingent for the competition, as each club competing in the AFC Champions League is permitted to have a maximum of three overseas players.
Adelaide United-s three foreign players for the AFC Champions League Knockout Stage are Cassio, Cristiano and Diego.
