Algerian midfielder Rachid Ghezzal removed from Lyon’s Europa League squad

Algerian international Rachid Ghezzal has been unexpectedly withdrawn from Olympique Lyon’s UEFA Europa League squad despite featuring and assisting in their opening match of the competition.

Ghezzal, 33, rejoined Lyon, his boyhood club, on September 5 and was initially registered for the Europa League, making an immediate impact by providing the decisive assist in a 1-0 win over Utrecht.

However, UEFA has since clarified that he should not have been eligible to play and that his registration was made in error.

According to reports from L’Équipe, Lyon have been informed by UEFA that Ghezzal’s inclusion did not comply with competition regulations, resulting in his removal from the squad list for the remainder of the ‘League Phase’.

Despite UEFA’s mistake, Utrecht are unlikely to successfully challenge the match result, as their appeal was reportedly submitted outside the required 24-hour window.

This unusual administrative error means Ghezzal’s contribution against Utrecht will be his last in the competition’s current phase, bringing a premature halt to his European involvement for the club.