UEFA has ruled that Danel Sinani will be banned for Luxembourg's next two international games.
The Luxembourg forward was sent off following a bad tackle in the Red Lions' final group qualifier match against Liechtenstein. Earlier this week, UEFA confirmed his suspension would rule him out of the next two international games. On Friday, the Luxembourg Football Federation announced its intention to appeal the ban.
Luxembourg's next two international games could be of crucial importance, as they will be appearing in the Nations League play-offs in March to compete for a spot at the European Championships in Germany next summer. Manager Luc Holtz said the ban was particularly difficult:
"I've watched the tackle back multiple times now and the relevant thing for me is that Danel was in possession of the ball. It got away from him, slightly too far, and as he extended his stride he connected with the other player. It looks bad, but I don't believe there was any intention behind the foul, so we'll appeal the decision."
The appeal will hinge on the terminology used when referring to the foul, as a simple foul would result in a one-match ban, while more serious fouls receive extended suspensions, Holtz added.
The Red Lions coach said Sinani will certainly miss the first play-off against Georgia on 21 March. In the event of a win, Luxembourg would progress to the decisive final against Greece or Kazakhstan on 26 March, at which point they would hope to have the Sankt Pauli striker back in the side to help boost their chances of qualification.
