Agak merunsingkan isu kedudukan 3 pasukan di dalam kumpulan E yang berkongsi 5 mata. Kini didapati terdapat 3 mazhab berkenaan kedudukan Manchester City:
1. City menduduki tempat kedua kerana perbezaan gol terbaik di kalangan 3 pasukan.
2. City pasukan tercorot kerana rekod pertemuan yang lebih berpihak kepada Roma dan CSKA Moscow.
3. Mengikut web rasmi UEFA pula City kini berada di tempat ketiga. Entah apa logiknya tapi berdasarkan penaakulan mantik mungkin kerana jumlah jaringan gol.
Jadi mana satu yang betul? Apa pula yang tertulis dalam regulasi rasmi kejohanan Liga Juara-Juara Eropah 2014/15? Mari kita kaji sebentar apa yang tertulis di dalam regulasi:
If two or more teams are equal on points on completion of the group matches, the following criteria are applied to determine the rankings (in descending order):
a) higher number of points obtained in the group matches played among the teams in question;
b) superior goal difference from the group matches played among the teams in question;
c) higher number of goals scored in the group matches played among the teams in question;
d) higher number of goals scored away from home in the group matches played among the teams in question;
e) if, after having applied criteria a) to d), teams still have an equal ranking, criteria a) to d) are reapplied exclusively to the matches between the teams in question to determine their final rankings. If this procedure does not lead to a decision, criteria f) to h) apply;
f) superior goal difference from all group matches played;
g) higher number of goals scored from all group matches played;
h) higher number of coefficient points accumulated by the club in question, as well as its association, over the previous five seasons (see paragraph 9.02).
Panjang betul deliberasi tentang penentuan kedudukan pasukan dalam kumpulan. Jika dikaji betul-betul isi regulasi maka memang sepatutnya City berada di tempat tercorot. Jadi mengapa web rasmi UEFA meletakkan City di tangga ketiga? Jawapannya ialah kerana perlawanan kumpulan belum selesai dimainkan dan buat masa ini UEFA menyusun pasukan yang mengumpul mata sama mengikut susunan abjad.
Maka harapnya semua misteri sudah dibongkari. Sekian.
Superbia in proelio - Blog Bulan Biru
