Oops! Frankfurt Fined for Fielding a 14-Year-Old in Friendlies
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Whoopsie! Eintracht Frankfurt faced a hefty fine after flouting the rules by letting a 14-year-old take the field in two warm-up games. The Sports Court of the DFB slapped the Bundesliga football team with a €20,000 fine for breaking two youth regulations. The ruling was finalized after the club accepted the fine.
In the 14-0 drubbing of FSV Geislitz and the 7-1 rout against SC Weimar in May, Niko Ilicevic, a talented 14-year-old, scored in each match, playing for the Hessians. Sports board member Markus Krösche defended the decision, citing Ilicevic's exceptional talent.
Krösche took full responsibility for the oversight, admitting that they weren't aware that the rules applying to official matches also extended to friendlies. He admitted that the regulation has no exceptions for 14-year-olds.
- Sports Court
- Fine
- Frankfurt
- Eintracht Frankfurt
- Hessians
- DFB
- Sports
- Markus Krösche
- Friendly match
- Frankfurt am Main
Did you know?
While there are no specific regulations against letting 14-year-olds play in friendly matches, youth-level competitions often have age restrictions to foster fair play and player development. FIFA's Disciplinary Code outlines penalties for violations like fielding an ineligible player, which could lead to match forfeits or disciplinary action against the team or its officials. However, the specifics of this case aren't detailed in available records. 1 5
- Despite Eintracht Frankfurt's sports board member Markus Krösche defending the decision, the Sports Court of the DFB issued a €20,000 fine to the Bundesliga football team for fielding a 14-year-old during friendly matches against FSV Geislitz and SC Weimar.
- To avoid such penalties in the future, the club must adhere to youth regulations, as even friendly matches are subject to the same rules as official matches regarding 14-year-old players, according to Krösche.
