PEP GUARDIOLA’S Champions League hopes will be dealt a blow by Boris Johnson today.
The Prime Minister is expected to announce that anyone arriving into the UK from next month will face a 14-DAY quarantine.
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Pep Guardiola and Man City’s Champions League hopes are set to suffer a blow when Boris Johnson addresses the nation on Sunday
That would make it virtually impossible for Manchester City to hold their Champions League ties at home.
The same would apply to Manchester United and Wolves, who would have to give up home advantage in the Europa League.
The issue will be raised when the FA take part in a video conference of Uefa members tomorrow.
Under the latest plans, Europe’s governing body are hoping to stage the remaining last-16 fixtures in the scheduled venues when the competitions resume on August 7.
City are due to play Real Madrid at the Etihad, with a 2-1 lead from February’s victory in the Bernabeu.
Yet it would not be realistic to ask clubs to quarantine for 14 days in England before playing their scheduled match.
Other European nations already have travel bans or quarantine in place, so the issue is not confined to British clubs.
Rangers are due to play a Europa League last-16 second leg against Bayer Leverkusen in August.
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UK airlines revealed they have been told the Government will bring in a 14-day quarantine, starting next month, for anyone — except key workers — arriving in the UK from any country apart from the Republic of Ireland.
And Transport Secretary Grant Shapps was last week “looking at these issues so that when we have infection rates within the country under control we’re not importing.
“It’s important we ensure the sacrifices, social distancing, that we’re asking the British people to make are matched by anyone who comes to the UK.”
Yesterday, he confirmed the Government would proceed with “extreme caution” as the UK Covid-19 deaths rose to 31,587.
Uefa are heading for crisis talks over the future of their two competitions and have scheduled calls with all of the clubs to find a way through.
The worried chiefs have SEVENTEEN games to arrange just to complete the Champions League.
The major clubs, TV and sponsors are all breathing down their necks, while Turkey has heaped on the pressure, with the Istanbul final set for August 30.
Alternative neutral venues for the clubs to play the games are being considered, while Perth — the Australian city who reached out to the Prem — is also available.
England are due to play Belgium, Denmark and Iceland home and away in the autumn but those matches could also be affected by the quarantine rules.
City declined to comment on the quarantine issue. But this could dash the hopes of Guardiola’s men to finally lift the trophy.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
