UEFA has issued Liverpool a formal warning after the club failed to provide the minimum medical requirements for their UEFA Youth League fixture against Atletico Madrid. The under-19s match took place on Wednesday, September 9 at the Kirkby Academy and ended 2-2.
Incident Details and Match Context
First-half goals from Mor Talla Ndiaye and Josh Sonni-Lambie put Liverpool's youngsters ahead, but the Spanish side fought back through Joel Sanchez and Adrian Lis-Zielinski, with the latter scoring a last-minute equaliser.
Rob Page's side have since beaten LASK 4-2 but were held to a goalless draw by Villarreal, leaving them in fourteenth place. The warning follows UEFA's report of decisions made by their Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Board between September 29 and October 16.
UEFA Medical Regulations
The details of Liverpool's infringement appear on page 12 of the report, relating to the "minimum medical requirements (Ambulance), Art. 14 UEFA Medical Regulations". UEFA's regulations state that "one fully equipped ALS ambulance, staffed by at least one paramedic and a driver, must be present", and that "a portable oxygen cylinder and an AED defibrillator" must be included in the equipment.
Medical personnel must also be present two hours before kick-off and remain in position until one hour after the game has concluded. Games cannot go ahead without an ambulance present, and since the match was not postponed, it suggests the infringement was minor.
Upcoming Fixtures and Lens Sanction
Page's side return to UEFA Youth League action early next month with a trip to Fenerbahce. The senior team also face the Turkish giants before taking on Club Brugge and Porto later this year. The league stage concludes for Liverpool early next year with a trip to Inter Milan before hosting Lens at Anfield.
The latter European clash will have a different atmosphere than usual, with UEFA imposing a restriction on the French club selling tickets for the match. That sanction follows Lens away supporters throwing flares onto the pitch and at opposition fans during their 3-0 defeat to Club Brugge. The Ligue 1 outfit were already on UEFA probation for their behaviour at Slavia Prague in September.
UEFA announced their decision on Tuesday, with Lens, who have also decided not to open the away end for their upcoming domestic clash at Lille this Friday, responding in an official statement. Part of that read: "The Champions League holds a unique place in the club's history. RC Lens has only participated in this major competition four times, and the European away trips it offers are precious memories for the club's supporters. UEFA announced this Tuesday afternoon that the away sections in Leipzig and Liverpool would be closed (plus another match potentially closed)."
