WANGARATTA's Stoycho Ivanov is once again a visa player after a Football NSW ruling.
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Ivanov had earlier been granted an exemption from the visa rule after a decision from the AWFA's appeals tribunal in May.
League president Simon Randall said the AWFA had chosen to appeal that decision at the request of a number of other clubs.
“Several clubs expressed concern to the executive after the first appeal,” he said.
“An appeal request was submitted by those clubs, which was then taken to Football NSW.
“The timing of the decision was in relation to acquiring certain documents to be presented, as well as the fact that Football NSW had other issues to deal with.”
The decision was handed down on August 19.
Wangaratta president Dean Campagna was hesitant to comment, citing a bond placed on the club in 2015.
However, Randall said he was unaware of any such restriction having been placed on the club.
It's another setback for Ivanov, who was married to a Wangaratta local last year and is expected to be awarded permanent residency in 2017.
The club had been forced to field one of Ivanov, Adam Burchell or Connor Heffernan in the reserves before the AWFA appeals tribunal's decision.
The star central defender didn't play in Sunday's quarter-final victory over Boomers on Sunday, serving a one-match ban after being sent from the field during Wangaratta's round 22 match against Myrtleford.
His return is likely to cause some headaches at the selection table for the Red Devils, after strong performances from Burchell and Heffernan at the weekend.
The same can’t be said of Albury United, who turned to two veterans of the green and white with immediate success in Sunday’s 4-0 quarter finals win over Twin City.
Mitch Jones bagged a hat-trick, while Cade Webb also scored.
“It’s a scoresheet from 10 years ago for United,” Campbell said on Sunday.
“Mitch effectively came out of retirement for me, I spoke to him a couple of months ago.
“We had a couple of boys injured and I said we could use a striker.
“He’s done really well in the ressies, and this was his first game back in first grade.
“Cade Webb is a gun as well, but it didn’t come down to just those two, I though the whole team defended well.”
It was a sweet victory for United, after winning the league but being knocked out of the first round of finals last year.
They take on Albury City on Sunday to progress to the Cup final, with their last Cup win coming in 2012.