After days of tension around the first leg of the round of 16 from Champions League between Leipzig Y Liverpool, the UEFA has reached a decision. Given the ban on Jürgen Klopp’s team from entering German soil, the match will be played at the Puskás Arena in the city of Budapest, where the last European Super Cup was played.
Liverpool without permission to enter Germany
The German authorities have closed their borders to all British citizens after the spread of the new strain of the virus that emerged in the United Kingdom. This has generated an immense problem for the programming of the match between Leipzig Y Liverpool. The ‘Reds’ had their trip scheduled for the game at Red Bull Arena on February 16.
After days of rumors, the highest institution of European football decided to move the game to the city of Budapest. “The UEFA can confirm that the first leg of the round of 16 between RB Leipzig Y Liverpool FC will now be held at the Puskás Arena in Budapest. The date of the match (16 February 2021) and the kick-off time (21.00CET) remain unchanged.
Likewise, the organization thanked the teams for their collaboration in finding the solution. “The UEFA wants to thank the RB Leipzig and to Liverpool FC their close collaboration and help to find a solution to the matter in question, as well as the Hungarian Football Federation for their support and for agreeing to host the match in question.
Puskás Arena
The Puskás Arena was the venue for the last European Super Cup, played between Bayern Munich and Seville on September 24. Although the Hungarian authorities have also imposed entry bans on the British strain of COVID-19, they make exceptions for elite sports competitions, such as the Champions League.
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