There is some good news and bad news for Celtic winger Daizen Maeda after his red card against Young Boys.
Daizen will miss the first leg of the club’s next Champions League knockout tie after UEFA confirmed he must serve a two-match suspension. However that will free him up to play the SECOND leg of the tie!
Maeda was sent off in Celtic’s final League Phase home match, a 1-0 victory over Young Boys, after kicking out at Mohamed Ali Camara.
The red card meant the 27-year-old was automatically ruled out of Wednesday’s clash with Aston Villa, but there had been uncertainty over whether further punishment would follow. There could have been no further action or as we mentioned above, a three match ban.
UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary body has now reviewed the incident and determined that Maeda’s actions fall under the charge of “assaulting another player.”
The suspension is a blow for Brendan Rodgers, who will already be without Maeda for the crunch clash against Aston Villa. Celtic have guaranteed at least a play-off spot thanks to their win over Young Boys.
One good thing from a Celtic perspective is Jota will be eligible for the next round of the competition and will most certainly fill in. Maeda has been a key figure in Celtic’s European campaign, with his pace and relentless work rate proving invaluable, he will be missed regardless.
