AMSTERDAM: Ajax Amsterdam will have to do without record signing Sebastien Haller in the Europa League knockout rounds after failing to register the Ivory Coast international, Dutch television reported on Thursday.
Broadcaster NOS said the club had made an administrative error and left the 26-year-old French-born striker off the additions to their squad for the for the rest of the competition.
The club and UEFA did not immediately respond to queries about Haller's omission.
Haller, who signed from West Ham United for €22.5 million last month, will therefore been ineligible for the remainder of this season's Europa League, starting with Ajax's last 32 clash against French frontrunners Lille later this month.
Clubs still competing were permitted to add three more players to their roster by Tuesday's deadline but Ajax included only Oussama Idrissi, who joined on loan from Sevilla last week.
NOS said Ajax had forgotten to put Haller on the player list and were now "investigating all possibilities to correct the error, but the chance that this will succeed is very small".
Registration is done by the clubs themselves who enter the changes into a computerised system at UEFA, have it checked by their home association to confirm all players are eligible, and then the club confirms the final list with European football's governing body.
Ajax were expected to make a statement later on Thursday. – Reuters
