Carla Ward fielded Maritz during Wednesday night’s Conti Cup group stage match, which might mean that the Villans’ commanding 7-0 victory against Sunderland is reversed. Maritz, who entered the game as a second-half replacement, is now cup-tied due to her three appearances for Arsenal in the same tournament this season, which included a pivotal victory over Tottenham Hotspur via penalty shootout. The possible infraction is covered under Conti Cup regulation 8.14, which deals with fielding players who aren’t qualified. Villa may be subject to serious repercussions if found guilty, such as the match’s outcome being reversed and a referral to an impartial panel with the power to give the match to the opponent.
According to the guideline, “Any Club found to have played an ineligible Player in a Cup Match or Cup Matches shall be in breach of these Rules and the matter shall be referred to an Independent Tribunal for determination pursuant to Rule 3.7.1(d),” the Football Association is looking into the event.
“The Independent Tribunal may, subject to Rule 8.14.3,: (a) rule that the opposing Club be awarded the Cup Match or Cup Matches; or (c) make”The Independent Tribunal may determine not to order that the Cup Match be awarded to the opposition Club only in circumstances where the ineligibility is due to the failure to obtain an International Transfer Certificate or where the ineligibility is related to the Player’s status.” If Sunderland wins the three points, the point distribution might have an effect on the final rankings, making the issue more complicated. If such were the case, they would pass Manchester United with ten points. If Tottenham Hotspur, which now have seven points, defeats Southampton on Thursday, then numerous clubs will have ten points, which might further complicate things. If Villa’s points were eliminated, they would still finish ahead of United because of their superior goal differential. However, they would be on nine points. The Red Devils would be eliminated from the competition in this case. The event is reminiscent of a similar infraction that Reading faced dismissal from the tournament from ten years prior. Villa has not yet responded, but if the FA inquiry is concluded, they may suffer the same fate as Reading. However, they will want to move past the incident and win the three points when they play United in the WSL on Sunday.
