MEP asks Uefa to overturn 1973 football cup result

An MEP has urged Uefa, European football´s ruling body, to reverse Leeds United's defeat by AC Milan in the 1973 cup winners' cup final.

The referee in the game, Christos Michas, was later investigated by the Greece football association over allegations that he accepted a bribe from the Italian side.

"Few doubt Milan bribed the Greek official," PES deputy Richard Corbett said.

"If there is evidence that [the match] was fixed then the result should be reversed and Leeds awarded the trophy," said Corbett,a member of the constitutional affairs committee.

Norman Hunter was shown a red card as Don Revie's side lost 1-0 in Salonika.
 
Michas was subsequently banned from refereeing by Uefa, and Corbett wants surviving members of the United team to sign an online petition - already signed by over 5,000 people - demanding the result be overturned.

He plans to present it to Uefa on 16 May, the 36th anniversary of the match.

"Bribery in any form of sport is completely unacceptable and results which have been tainted by match-fixing must be reversed if sport is to retain its integrity," said Corbett, an institutional affairs expert.

"Uefa can show its commitment to fair play by dealing with breaches of it seriously."

He added, "The match has always stuck in the mind as one that ended with a grossly unjust result, due largely to the dubious refereeing performance of Michas whose performance was so poor he was banned from officiating a European game again. There has long been cause to suspect Michas was bribed and the match ´fixed.'"

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