February 3 – European knock-out ties hit by travel restrictions caused by the impact of Covid-19 could be played as one-off matches at neutral venues under new rules issued by UEFA.
Liverpool’s last-16 Champions League visit to Leipzig for a first-leg game is set for February 16 but all flights into Germany from the United Kingdom are banned until one day after that and the German government are insisting there will be no exemptions for elite sports teams.
“Currently there is no special arrangement for professional athletes,” the German interior ministry said on Tuesday.
UEFA requires clubs to “cooperate with their national association in order to obtain from the relevant authorities exemptions from existing travel restrictions, such as border closures and quarantine requirements.”
The Champions League last 16 is scheduled to finish on March 17 but UEFA have given clubs an extension until April 2 to complete ties – four days before the quarter finals are set to start.
Leipzig say they have asked the German authorities to grant Liverpool a special exemption to strict new coronavirus entry rules. If this is turned down, moving the match to a neutral venue, reversing the home and away ties and playing a one-off tie are among the various options apparently being considered.
If German travel restrictions are extended, Manchester City’s first-leg trip to play Borussia Mönchengladbach on February 24 is another game that could be affected.
The Europa League, meanwhile, resumes on February 18 at the last-32 stage and UEFA has set a March 5 deadline to complete the round.
That, too, poses problems because of travel bans in various countries. Arsenal, for instance, are reported to be working on the basis of their two-legged tie against Portugal’s Benfica being played at neutral venues.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1713543130labto1713543130ofdlr1713543130owedi1713543130sni@w1713543130ahsra1713543130w.wer1713543130dna1713543130