Gladbach may host Man City outside Germany because of virus

The German authorities are currently blocking almost all entry to the country from Britain to restrict the spread of new variants of the coronavirus.

Published : Feb 05, 2021 21:38 IST , Monchengladbach

UEFA is open to delaying games affected by travel bans. It has set April 2 as the latest possible date to finish the last 16 games in time for the quarterfinals.
UEFA is open to delaying games affected by travel bans. It has set April 2 as the latest possible date to finish the last 16 games in time for the quarterfinals.
lightbox-info

UEFA is open to delaying games affected by travel bans. It has set April 2 as the latest possible date to finish the last 16 games in time for the quarterfinals.

Borussia Monchengladbach is making plans to host Manchester City outside Germany in the last 16 of the Champions League, with Denmark a possible venue, the German club said on Friday.

The German authorities are currently blocking almost all entry to the country from Britain to restrict the spread of new variants of the coronavirus. On Thursday, the authorities confirmed that Leipzig can't host Liverpool in Germany on Feb. 16.

The current German travel rules are set to expire on Feb. 17, a week before Gladbach hosts City on Feb. 24, but could be extended. Gladbach sporting director Max Eberl said the club had made inquiries with venues including Danish club Midtjylland, which played in the group stage of the Champions League this season.

 

“It appears that in Germany, because of the mutated virus, we are not allowed to have any English teams coming in, which affects Leipzig and Liverpool, and us and Manchester City,” Eberl said.

“The situation right now is that we can't play in Germany, that we can't play at Borussia Park, and instead that we should and must look for an alternative location."

 

Eberl said Gladbach had held talks with German politicians, health authorities and UEFA, and that various options were considered, including switching the home and away legs to play in Manchester first.

UEFA is open to delaying games affected by travel bans. It has set April 2 as the latest possible date to finish the last 16 games in time for the quarterfinals.

In the Europa League next week, Arsenal's game against Benfica could be affected by British travel restrictions, and Norwegian travel rules could stop Molde from hosting German club Hoffenheim.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment