Aves ineligible to play in Europa League due to late registration
Desportivo das Aves, who secured direct entry to the Europa League by winning the Portuguese Cup final against Sporting, will not be able to compete in the competition because they registered late to obtain UEFA's permission.
The team, thirteenth in the Portuguese league, was supposed to submit the necessary documentation to the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) by December of last year, but according to Portuguese media reports, the process was completed after the deadline.
Therefore, due to the lack of necessary permits, Aves is initially prohibited from participating in the Europa League, to which they had gained direct access after winning the Portuguese Cup for the first time in their 88-year history.
According to the Portuguese sports newspaper Record, Aves will find out if there is any possibility of changing this situation by May 31, the day when FPF officially announces which clubs have UEFA certification to participate in European competitions.
If Aves is indeed unable to compete in the Europa League, the biggest beneficiary would be Sporting, who would no longer have to go through the qualifying rounds and would directly enter the group stage.