Bodo/Glimt head coach Kjetil Knutsen will miss Thursday’s Europa League Conference clash with Roma after UEFA dismissed the club’s appeal against his suspension.
The 53-year-old alleged Roma goalkeeping coach Nuno Santos assaulted him in the tunnel after the Norwegian champions claimed a 2-1 first-leg win in the competition’s quarter-finals last week.
UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary body then provisionally suspended both men from all European competitions on Monday while its investigation into the incident continued.
This led Bodo/Glimt to lodge an appeal.
However, European football’s governing body has upheld its previous decision.
It announced that Knutsen “is provisionally suspended for the next UEFA club competition matches in which he would otherwise participate until the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body decides on the merits of the case”.
Bodo/Glimt professed themselves “surprised and shocked” by the original decision to issue a ban to Knutsen.
He had accused Santos of grabbing him by the neck and pushing him against a wall after the match.
Roma were also accused by their rivals of “bombarding the media with untruths” relating to the incident.
Knutsen said he “considered whether it was really a good idea to continue working in football” after the altercation.
Bodo/Glimt travel to Rome for the decisive second leg of the tie on Thursday, having won 10 and drawn eight of their last 18 away games in all competitions.(dpa/NAN)
