Royal Antwerp star Sam Vines bizarrely left out of club's UCL squad after admin error that can't be reversed
Royal Antwerp will be without Sam Vines for their UEFA Champions League group stage games because of an admin error. The United States defender was accidentally left out of the squad that was submitted to UEFA ahead of the new season.
The Belgian side are playing in the UEFA Champions League for the first time. They beat AEK Athens in the two-leg playoffs in August to qualify for the group stage.
Antwerp coach Mark Van Bommel has confirmed that the club will be without the defender, as they cannot correct the mistake. He was quoted by GOAL as saying.
"What do I mean by that? That we didn't do it right. Vines did belong on the list. We made a mistake, and it cannot be corrected."
When asked about Vines and how he's dealing with the situation, Van Bommel added that the defender is disappointed but is working on getting back to full fitness. He said:
"How does he deal with that? Well ... Everyone wants to be on that list. Of course he is disappointed. But he is now focusing on his rehabilitation, that is the most important thing."
Sam Vines's Royal Antwerp were drawn in Group H this season in the UEFA Champions League. They will face FC Barcelona, FC Porto and Shakhtar Donetsk in the group stage.
Sam Vines missed FIFA World Cup due to injury
Sam Vines had a tough time on and off the pitch in the last year. He was set to be a part of the United States Men's National team at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
However, an injury just weeks ahead of the tournament saw him miss the tournament. He suffered a broken tibia and was ruled out for 3-4 weeks. Confirming his injury, the 24-year-old said:
"Life is full of ups and downs. Unfortunately, yesterday, I broke by tibia and had to get surgery. The operation went well, and I should be back in 3-4 months.
"Upset I missed the chance to be in the World Cup, but I will be supporting the boys until the end. Thank you for all the support. I'll be back stronger."
Sam Vines has played six games for Royal Antwerp this season, scroing once. He played both games against AEK Athens.