Ilia Gruev could face UEFA investigation after incident away from Leeds United
Ilia Gruev has been representing Bulgaria on international duty.
Since the injury to Ethan Ampadu at Elland Road, Ilia Gruev has been rafted back into the Leeds starting 11 in the Premier League, albeit with concerns.
Since joining the Whites, the Bulgarian has been in and out of Daniel Farke’s starting XI, though he has remained a mainstay in the Bulgarian national team.
With the international break upon us, the midfielder started in Bulgaria’s defeat to Spain, and was involved in a controversial off-the-ball incident that could spark an investigation.
This article contains exclusive opinion from former FIFA and UEFA referee Keith Hackett.
Lamine Yamal and Ilia Gruev involved in altercation
Gruev fared well against the Spaniards, albeit suffering a 3-0 defeat against the former World Champions.
However, it wasn’t his performance that caught attention.
In the final third of the game, Lamine Yamal was left furious with Gruev after the Bulgarian appeared to kick the back of the Barcelona star, when the ball had already gone out of play.
A minor altercation ensued, though the incident went unpunished. Keith Hackett says UEFA could look into the matter, but only if it is flagged by Spain, which he does not believe will be likely.
Speaking exclusively to MOT Leeds News, he said: “The matter will be investigated if the incident is brought to the attention of the match delegate.
“It looks unlikely if the on-field officials have seen it and acted by not taking any action, as authorities have a reluctance to re-referee incidents.
“This clip does not give the clarity required to kick off the investigation.”
Daniel Farke will want to avoid any more scares ahead of Premier League return
Joe Rodon was forced to withdraw from the Wales squad, while minor concerns were raised over Gabriel Gudmundsson before the break.
There was a very small suggestion across social media that Gruev could face a ban, albeit unlikely, and these are all things Daniel Farke will want to avoid.
Leeds’ failed end to the summer window gave Farke enough of a headache to contend with ahead of the Premier League return; he does not need to see any more players become unavailable.
Sign up for the MOT Leeds News WhatsApp channel and turn on notifications to have all the latest, breaking Leeds United news sent straight to your phone.