Laudrup frustrated

Real Mallorca coach Michael Laudrup and his players and staff have written to UEFA president Michel Platini expressing "great frustration" with the decision to exclude the club from European competition this season.
Financially-troubled Mallorca finished fifth in Spain's La Liga last campaign and qualified for the Europa League but UEFA ruled last week the Balearic Islands club, who are in administration, had not fulfilled the admission criteria.
UEFA did not publish the reasons behind the decision, which Mallorca, who are part-owned by tennis world number one and island native Rafa Nadal, have appealed.
"It's very true that our club has problems, in this day and age, who doesn't," read the letter, which was obtained by Reuters and sent to Platini on Wednesday.
"Do you think that (Real Mallorca) is in a worst situation than other clubs that today have been accepted in to European competition? We are reluctant to believe that it's easier (for UEFA) to exclude a modest-sized club."
The letter concludes by arguing that the club deserve their place in the Europa League after winning qualification on the pitch and urges UEFA to play fair.
Mallorca, like many Spanish clubs, have been slipping further into the red due to rising wage and transfer costs and a recent University of Barcelona study indicated they had debts of around 85 million euros ($111 million).
Nadal became a shareholder in the club this month and his uncle, former soccer professional Miguel Angel Nadal, is Laudrup's assistant.
Rafa Nadal hit out at UEFA on Tuesday, saying it was "a hell of a blow".
Mallorca's place in the Europa League has provisionally been taken by Villarreal.
Mallorca said on their website (www.rcdmallorca.es) on Wednesday a Socialist deputy in Spain's national parliament sympathetic to the club had demanded the release of data on Villarreal's debts with the tax and social security authorities.