BEVERLY HILLS, February 04, (THEWILL) –Â English Premier League champions Liverpool will have to wait for a rescheduling of their UEFA Champions League knockout stage tie against RB Leipzig due to coronavirus restrictions in Germany.
Jurgen Klopp’s side was drawn to face the Bundesliga club in their opening Last-16 round of matches. The first leg was slated for February 16 in Leipzig, but Germany COVID-19 protocols restrict entry to anyone who is in an area affected by the coronavirus mutations until at least February 17.
The only exceptions allowed were for German citizens. Unlike in the United Kingdom where elite sport was also exempt, the German government issued a statement expressly stating that Liverpool would not be allowed into the country.
The official statement from the German government read: “The Corona Protection Ordinance passed by the German government last Friday provides for only a few exceptions and no special regulations for professional athletes.
“The Federal Police informed the club RB Leipzig today that the described case constellation does not fall under the exceptions.”
To keep to the schedule of the draws for the last 16, UEFA has the option to switch the locations for the home and away ties for both clubs. The first leg can be changed to an Anfield fixture while Leipzig can then host the second leg on March 10, a date beyond the restricted February 17 date.
Although UEFA had previously changed its rules to allow ties to be switched, to take into account circumstances like this, the condition to make it happen is the agreement from both clubs and football associations, taking their varied commitments into consideration.
Should that not be an agreed solution, UEFA could explore other options. For instance, Leipzig could pass up their home advantage and elect to play the game at a neutral ground, or, in the most extreme case, the match can be shifted to a one-legged affair, in a winner-takes-all scenario.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
