Manchester United have questioned the integrity of the Continental Tyres League Cup trophy and women's game as a whole following the English Football Association (FA) ratifying their ouster from the tournament on Monday.
Following an FA investigation into Aston Villa fielding an ineligible player in their League Cup group game against Sunderland, the ruling body deducted three points from the Birmingham club but didn't expel them from the competition.
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The Conti Cup quarterfinalists are made up of the five group winners, the two best-runners up and any team competing in the Women's Champions League, which this season is only Chelsea.
The FA awarded Sunderland a 7-0 victory -- a result which saw them enter the quarterfinals as group winners. Villa sealed their progress as one of the best runners-up along with Tottenham.
Manchester United's ire lay in the fact they were set to become quarterfinalists as one of the best second-placed sides but they had an inferior goal difference to Villa.
"We are very disappointed with this outcome, and do not understand its rationale," United said in their statement.
"We feel that it undermines the integrity of the competition, and of the women's game."
Villa admitted Switzerland international Noelle Maritz was ineligible for the Jan. 24 game at Sunderland, because she had played in the competition for a former club, and acknowledged the breach.
Maritz had made three appearances in the competition for Arsenal before signing for Villa in January.
Information from Reuters contributed to this report.