UEFA Bans All Teams From Leaving Germany And Portugal During The Final Phase Of European Competitions

(Twitter @ uefa4)

JAKARTA - No teams are allowed to travel outside Portugal or Germany during the Champions League and Europa League final phases. Clubs that will travel to these countries can only leave when they are eliminated from their respective competitions.

Launching MARCA, Friday, July 10, UEFA has drawn up a health and safety protocol, which all clubs and federations, as well as players, officials, coaching staff and workers must comply with it as a condition for their participation in European tournaments.

Given that the current situation is unpredictable, both in terms of the COVID-19 pandemic and the countermeasures imposed by the national government, the protocol will undergo development over time and can be updated if needed.

Real Madrid vs Manchester City was held at the Etihad

Meanwhile, Real Madrid will travel to England to face Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16. UEFA decided the rest of the competition, including the eight finals in Lisbon, would be played behind closed doors.

Barcelona entertain Napoli at the Camp Nou, while Bayern Munich and Juventus will host Chelsea and Lyon, in Germany and Italy, respectively.

The Bavarian team beat the Blues 3-0 in the first leg, while Lyon beat the Old Lady 1-0 in France.

UEFA has assessed all aspects before making their final decision and after listening to the team, the club doctors and the players, they finally decided to prioritize competition fairness before any other aspect.

Home to Porto and Guimaraes were offered to host the second leg, but European football bodies choose the stadium of the team in question to host the match.

🏟️ The #UEFAExCo decided that the remaining #UCL and #UEL round of 16 second-leg matches will be played at home teams' stadiums - where they are currently playing domestic matches in their own stadiums, and where traveling is possible without restrictions for the visiting clubs. pic.twitter.com/xbhSN3Rat8

- UEFA (@UEFA) July 9, 2020

This means one more trip for four teams, but UEFA has put in place wellness protocols to offer players and coaching staff a safe environment with minimal risk.

The situation for the Europa League is more complicated as the two first leg matches - Roma vs Sevilla and Inter vs Getafe - are yet to be played. They will take place in one leg at neutral ground on August 5 and 6.

Meanwhile, the remainder of the matches will be held at the home of the visiting teams in March.