Manchester City’s UEFA Champions League clash with Borussia Monchengladbach, scheduled to take place in Germany, has been moved to Budapest.
Pep Guardiola’s City were pulled out against Gladbach in the Round of 16, with the first leg slated for Borussia-Park on February 24.
However, coronavirus protocols from the German government cast doubt on the game taking place in Monchengladbach, and this was confirmed on Monday.
What was said?
“UEFA can confirm that the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first leg match between Borussia Monchengladbach and Manchester City will now take place at the Puskas Arena in Budapest," a statement from UEFA read.
“The date of the match (24 February 2021) and kick-off time (21:00CET) will remain the same.
“UEFA would like to thank Borussia Monchengladbach and Manchester City for their close cooperation and support, as well as the Hungarian Football Federation for their assistance and agreeing to host the match in question.”
Why was a change necessary?
Current travel restrictions in place due to Covid-19 in Germany mean that teams from the United Kingdom are currently not permitted to enter the country. Only citzens of Germany can enter the country from countries where variants of the virus have been detected.
Germany’s travel ban on foreigners connected to new variants of Covid-19 is due to end on February 17, which raised hope that the game could take place in Monchengladbach.
However, UEFA wanted clarity and the governing body and the two clubs agreed on the change.
What about the return leg?
The second leg is slated to take place at the Etihad on March 16, and there are no plans for that to change.
Elite athletes and sports are exempt from UK travel bans, provided protocols are followed, so Gladbach will not be required to quarantine when arriving in Manchester.