Skrat, you have raised your concerns respectfully, and that is appreciated.
Exceptions are incredibly rare. They are generally based on sensitive context that usually cant or should not be made public. That does not mean a moderator is being inconsistent with the rules; it means the moderator team applies judgment.
We, as a community, can appreciate that a skilled player has returned after requesting account removal many years ago and is once again contributing to the dying competitive scene, or we can blow a rare exception out of proportion and turn it into an issue to talk about, instead of just enjoying the game.
Sure, there is always something to improve, but spending energy and attention on one rare exception is not where I see real value. Things like this always take more time and create more debate than they are worth to me.
It is never just a "quick fix".
However, if this topic is still very important to you/someone else, I would suggest drafting an official proposal to the Association on how FAF should handle users who had their accounts removed years ago and are now asking to return.
Writing a proposal could help highlight how complex and challenging these decisions can be; and why, in some cases, a simple one-time exception might be the better alternative.
Thanks for taking the time to discuss this.