Atletico Chelsea corresponding to the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 cannot be played at the Metropolitano as a result of the restrictions in Spain on flights from the United Kingdom Brazil and South Africa. The Government has decided to extend the measures until March 2 and the clash between Madrid and Londoners is set for February 23. Travelers from the three countries mentioned are prohibited from entering Spain without a ten-day quarantine if they are not nationals residents of Spain, or Andorra due to the variants of coronavirus that have been detected in each of these states.
The Minister of Health Carolina Darias has announced that the measure that was imposed until 6:00 p.m. on February 16 is extended until that same time on March 2, a period of time that includes the meeting corresponding to the maximum continental competition. Given this measure, Atletico will find it impossible to play the match in their stadium, the main option that was valued in the previous dates until the new measures were taken. Now, faced with this new scenario Bucharest seems to be the candidate venue to host the meeting.
Countries such as Belgium France, Portugal, and Germany are ruled out because they have imposed the same measures as Spain and in this scenario, UEFA had already asked the teams involved to look for alternatives. In the case of Atletico although it is not final and various options are still being considered Bucharest, whereby the way colchoneros won a Europa League, would be the ideal candidate. More stadium changes UEFA and in recent days for similar reasons proceeded to change the venue for three games, two in the Champions League and one in the Europe League.
Specifically from the Champions League, also the first leg of the round of 16, both Leipzig-Liverpool on February 16, and Borussia Monchengladbach-Manchester City, on February 24, will be played in Budapest. On the other hand Molde-Hoffenheim, the first leg of the round of 32 of the Europa League on February 18 will be held at the Estadio de la Cerámica in Villarreal.
