Arsenal will not be kicked out of this season’s Europa League, despite the furore surrounding the Gunners’ decision to sign up for the European Super League, according to sports lawyer Juan de Dios Crespo.

UEFA’s own regulations stipulate a team cannot be expelled once they have been admitted to the competition, unless they contravene certain rules, which Crespo says no team has done. He believes that Arsenal could only be barred from next season onwards:

“In the regulations of the Champions League, as in the Europe League, there is a procedure of admission, with established criteria. hey may not be expelled, but they may also not be allowed in. Once they are in this year, they cannot be kicked out, it will be the next year that they are not allowed to come in, at most.”

Arsenal’s Europa League semi-final against Villarreal will, therefore, go ahead unaffected. It will be a similar case for Manchester United in their tie versus Roma, as well Chelsea’s Champions League clash against Real Madrid, and Manchester City‘s game versus PSG.

The civil war at the top of European football will seemingly play out off the pitch, and it appears Mikel Arteta’s side will be given the chance to finish what they started in the Europa League.