Valencia told to replay Cup encounter behind losed doors

The line referee (L) after being hit by an object thrown from the crowd during a Spanish King's Cup football match between Valencia and Deportivo at the Mestalla stadium of Valencia. Spain's high court ruled that Valencia must play their Spanish Cup quarter-final Wednesday at 2100 GMT behind closed doors, rejecting an appeal by opponents Deportivo La Coruna to award them the tie.

Spain's high court ruled that Valencia must play their Spanish Cup quarter-final Wednesday at 2100 GMT behind closed doors, rejecting an appeal by opponents Deportivo La Coruna to award them the tie.

Deportivo had demanded they be handed qualification after the tie was abandoned last Wednesday when an assistant linesman was hit by an object thrown from the crowd at Valencia's Mestalla stadium.

The incident happened after David Villa had put Valencia ahead in the second leg clash in front of their home fans at the Mestalla to make the score 1-1 on aggregate.

Television pictures showed the official being hit in the face and suffering a cut just below his right eye.

The Spanish Football Federation's Cup competition authorities initially ruled the match should be restarted on Wednesday with no fans present but Deportivo appealed to the country's Superior Council of Sport (CSD) only for the court to reject their demand with Tuesday's ruling.

On Saturday, the CSD handed the appeal on to the Spanish Committee for Sports Discipline (CEDD) but the latter ruled it was not competent to judge the issue and the court was called on to make a final ruling.