Atletico-Chelsea will play from the UEFA Champions League in Bucharest | Sports

Coronavirus and the British strain were part of the domestic stadium factor in three matches of the first leg of the 16th round of the UEFA Champions League and two of the first leg of the 32nd round of the European League. Restrictions on flights from the United Kingdom in effect in both Germany and Spain (extended this Tuesday by the Spanish government until March 2), have moved Leipzig – Liverpool from February 16 to Budapest, a city that will also be hosted by Borussia Moenchengladbach – Manchester City eight days later. . Atlético-Chelsea will be playing on February 23 at the National Stadium in Bucharest (Romania), where the team was crowned European League champion in 2012. This competition was also affected by the British type of Coronavirus when having to move from San Sebastian to Turin on Real Sociedad – Manchester United on February 18th. In the same competition and on the same day, the Molde-Hoffenheim match will be played at the La Ceramica stadium in Villa Real, due to the high rate of injuries affecting Norway.

The visitors’ goals will continue to determine the qualifiers in the event of a tie in the aggregate of both scores, but clubs that have had to look for alternate stadiums feel hurt. The absence of the environmental heat of the stadiums on European nights due to the absence of the audience in the stands has already reduced the effect of the court factor on all participants, but now the local teams forced by UEFA to find a neutral stadium will have to assume wearing the offset and losing the signals that footballers are accustomed to. In their stadiums.

Feeling weak, Atletico and Real Sociedad suggested that the home and away matches be played on neutral soil, but it was met with rejection by UEFA. At rojiblanco club, they waste the discomfort of a flight of at least two hours the day before the match. Madrid representatives say: “It is not the same for players to move from their homes to the Focus Hotel rather than exposing them to wear from the trip.” Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann also complained in similar terms from his team’s trip to Budapest to host Liverpool: “Not having to travel and sleep in your own bed and not in someone else’s bed is an advantage to lose. We do not decide .. we have to accept what has been arranged.” The preference for Jürgen Klopp’s team is by decision, but the German coach is not involved in the transfer of stadiums.

The coach said the English champion, “We are stuck in bubbles that hinder the spread of the virus, I opened a lawyer for an exception.” The German government was the first to state that it would not make exceptions of any kind to allow entry to citizens from the islands. In Spain, restrictions ended on February 16, but the extension of the measure announced by the Spanish CEO this Tuesday until March 2 forced Atlético and Real Sociedad to choose a city. Until they learned about the extension of the aforementioned restrictions, both Kien Madrid and San Sebastian had some hopes that they would be able to play their home matches in their own stadiums, although at the same time they were already working on the final stage.

Since the pandemic situation in the UK has worsened due to the extreme stress that has developed there, the body governing European football has begun to work on this new scenario that shakes the integrity of its competitions. Ten days ago, UEFA asked affected clubs to start looking for alternative venues and this Tuesday set a deadline for reporting them, although Atlético has yet to announce it. Having to organize last season eight Champions League finals in Lisbon and another in four German cities in the European League, has already meant an economic shock for the organization headed by Slovenian Alexander Ceferin, which has not yet decided whether it is the European Cup or not. The tournament with the highest profit will take place in the 12 planned venues.

The Euro 2020 stadiums will be announced in April

The uncertainty caused by the development of the coronavirus has led UEFA to delay until April the final decision on whether the European Cup 2020 will be held this summer in 12 planned venues, including Bilbao. Initially, the solution was due to be announced in March, but the European Union preferred to push the dates further. The profits made by UEFA in the last European championship, which was held in France in 2016, amounted to about one billion euros. This competition is the manna with which UEFA fills its coffers every four years and is allowed to finance the development of football across the continent. Although the head of the organization, Slovenian Alexander Ceferin, announced last month that at the moment 12 places have been preserved, it will be the evolution of the epidemic that will determine whether there are changes affecting the places and whether the public will be in the end. Able to attend. Russia’s option has been considered as the only host in recent months. According to federal sources, the low prevalence of the epidemic, the high rate of vaccination and the infrastructure used in the 2018 World Cup are playing to Russia’s advantage as the only place. There is an urgent need between the unions to know what to expect as soon as possible in order to organize the logistics of their base camps. Spain planned to found him in Las Rosas if he finally played in Bilbao. If not, he will seek residency abroad.