UEFA dismiss Bodo/Glimt appeal to lift provisional suspension on coach

UEFA have dismissed an appeal lodged by Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt and upheld the decision to provisionally suspended their head coach Kjetil Knutsen, Europe's soccer governing body said on Wednesday.

UEFA provisionally suspended Knutsen and Italian club AS Roma's goalkeeping coach Nuno Santos following their ill-tempered Europa Conference League match in Norway last week.

After last Thursday's 2-1 quarter final first-leg defeat, the Italian side's captain Lorenzo Pellegrini said Santos had been attacked, while Knutsen accused Santos of grabbing him by the throat.

"Mr Kjetil Knutsen, is provisionally suspended for the next UEFA club competition matches in which he would otherwise participate until the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body decides on the merits of the case," UEFA said in a statement.

Roma host Bodo/Glimt in the second leg on Thursday.

(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge)