West Ham’s Europa Conference League opponents Viborg lose two players to post-Brexit visa rules
>
West Ham’s Brexit boost! Europa Conference League opponents Viborg will be without TWO players for Thursday’s first leg in London because the new rules for non-EU citizens meant they couldn’t get a visa in time
- West Ham are set to play Danish club Viborg in UEFA Europa Conference League
- First leg of Play-off round tie set to be played at London Stadium this Thursday
- Viborg have been unable to secure visa for two of their players under new rules
- Nigerian winger Ibrahim Said and Gambian forward Alassana Jatta miss the trip
- Club said post-Brexit visa rules for non-EU citizens left insufficient time
<!–
<!–
<!–
<!–
<!–
<!–
Danish club Viborg will be without two players for Thursday’s Europa Conference League match against West Ham after post-Brexit rules meant they were unable to secure visas to come to London.
Nigerian winger Ibrahim Said and Gambian forward Alassana Jatta will not feature at the London Stadium due to entry rules for non-European Union citizens.
Said, 20, has started the majority of Viborg’s matches so far this season and would have likely started for the Superligaen club on Thursday night.
Jatta, 23, has made only two substitute appearances so far this campaign but did come off the bench in their third qualifying round, second leg game against B36 Torshavn and scored in a 2-1 win.
A statement by Viborg said: ‘We are extremely sorry that we have not been able to get visas for the two players.
Viborg’s players celebrate their win over Lithuanian side Suduva in an earlier qualifying tie
‘We have tried everything, and have been in close contact with DBU [Danish Football Association], UEFA, the two embassies and another foreign club which has been in a similar situation, but unfortunately this has proved to be impossible, as there is a processing time of several weeks and the match was only finally decided a week ago.’
Viborg sporting director Esper Fredberg said: ‘It is very unfortunate purely sportingly, as both players would have had a role in the match, but even more unfortunate purely humanly, that the two miss out on the great experience.’
The first leg of the Play-off round tie will be played at the London Stadium this Thursday
Declan Rice reacts during West Ham’s defeat to Nottingham Forest in the league on Sunday
The two teams will meet for a place in the Conference League group stages with the first leg in London on Thursday and the return leg at the Viborg Stadium next Thursday.
Viborg have already overcome Lithuanian club Suduva in the second qualifying round and then beat B36, from the Faroe Islands, 5-1 on aggregate to reach this stage.
Like West Ham in the Premier League, Viborg finished seventh in the Danish top-flight last season to earn their European place.