UEFA moved Manchester’s city Champions League last 16th game clash at Borussia Monchengladbach to the neutral venue in Hungary due to COVID-19 restrictions in Germany upon arrival from Britain.
As Germany has imposed a severe restrictions from passengers coming from Britian due to powerful COVID-19 variant which has emerged so travel restrictions is mandatory for people coming from UK.
UEFA confirmed the game was moved to Puskás Aréna in Budapest, which is already hosting another rearranged Champions League first-leg game between Leipzig and Liverpool on Feb. 16.
The game marks that Gladbach will be hosting European competition since the semifinals of the old European Cup since 1978.
“A last-16 game in the Champions League is an extraordinary event for Borussia Mönchengladbach that will now sadly take place without spectators and not in our own stadium,” Gladbach CEO Stephan Schippers said in a statement. “But we are happy that we can play at all.”
Also on Monday, UEFA moved a European league game to Spain due to travel restrictions in Norway which restricted German club Hoffenheim to play their upcoming match.
Also Molde is unable to host Hoffenheim in the first leg of the round of 32 which will be scheduled at neutral venue on Feb 18th 2021. Villarreal is still in the competition and will be hosting Salzburg a week later.
