CHAMPIONS' LEAGUE: UEFA Rejects Juventus' Travel Request
Copyright � 1998 Nando.net
Copyright � 1998 Reuters
GENEVA (Dec 1, 1998 - 12:57 EST) - European soccer's governing body UEFA on Tuesday rejected a request by Juventus for permission to travel to Turkey for Wednesday's match with Galatasaray on the day of the match.
UEFA said there was "no valid reason" to grant an exception to a regulation that says clubs should arrive no later than the evening before the match.
Juventus has said it was worried for its safety at the politically charged Champions' League match. The match was postponed from last Wednesday after a wave of anti-Italian sentiment in Turkey over Rome's failure to extradite Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan, arrested in Italy last month.
Turkey holds Ocalan responsible for thousands of deaths over 14 years.
If Juventus decide to travel on the day of the match, the matter will be submitted to UEFA's disciplinary bodies.
