Spain Lifted Ban On Flying To And From England, Real Madrid Can Host Liverpool In The Capital

Estadio Alfredo di Stefano, home to Real Madrid (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Real Madrid can host Liverpool at home to the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final, following the Spanish government's decision to lift the ban on flights to and from England later this month.

The ban has been in effect since last December following the growing concern of the spread of a new variant of COVID-19 which originated in England and had forced several Spanish clubs to flee for European matches against the English team.

Atletico Madrid, for example, had to go through a Champions League last 16 home match against Chelsea in Bucharest, Romania, while Real Sociedad was forced to stay in Turin, Italy when they hosted Manchester United in the last 32 of the Europa League.

Launching Antara, Wednesday, March 24, with the end of the flight ban at the end of this month, Real Madrid will be allowed to host Liverpool at the Alfredo Stadium in Stefano, the training ground used as the home of Los Blancos during the renovation of the Santiago Bernabeu, on April 6.

The lifting of the ban also affects Granada who will be allowed to host United in the first leg of the Europa League quarter-final on April 8 at Nuevo Los Carmenes.

Spain is only one of many countries to have imposed a from-to-England ban over the past few months, which saw Manchester City and Borussia Moenchengladbach, as well as Liverpool and RB Leipzig, play the last two legs of their Champions League last 16 in Budapest, Hungary.