Eduardo diving ban over-turned by UEFA

Arsenal striker Eduardo’s two-game Champions League ban for diving has been over-turned by UEFA’s Appeals Body, UEFA announced on Monday.

The Brazil-born Croatian was retrospectively punished after being found to have deceived the referee when winning a penalty in Arsenal’s Champions League play-off return leg at home to Celtic last month.

Arsenal appealed after saying that the decision was “deeply biased” and based on “errors” and “uncertainties”.

“Following examination of all the evidence, notably the declarations of both the referee and the referees’ assessor, as well as the various video footage, it was not established to the panel’s satisfaction that the referee had been deceived in taking his decision on the penalty,” read a statement on the UEFA website.

The decision to ban Eduardo, which was taken by UEFA’s Control and Disciplinary Body on September 1, was subsequently “annulled”.

During Arsenal’s 3-1 victory over Celtic, Eduardo won a first-half penalty, which he then scored to put his side 1-0 up, after going to ground under a challenge from visiting goalkeeper Artur Boruc.

The London side, losing semi-finalists last season, begin their Champions League campaign with a trip to Belgian champions Standard Liege in Group H on Wednesday.