Liverpool will not be able to travel to Germany due to restrictions against the coronavirus

Liverpool will not be allowed to enter Germany for the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 against Leipzig on 16 February Due to the measures against the spread of the coronavirus that prohibits the entry into the country of people from areas where mutations are highly widespread.

The German federal police on Thursday rejected a request from Leipzig for a special authorization to be granted to Liverpool. A spokeswoman for the Home Office explained that the Liverpool case is not covered by any of the possible exceptions to the general rule.

The ban on entering Germany will remain in force, at least, until February 17, while the date for the match was set one day before at 9 p.m. The decision of the German authorities has come this Thursday after the consultation carried out by Leipzig to expose the case of their opponent in the Champions League tie.

Leipzig will now have to take care of finding a neutral venue and assuming the additional costs of the party's travel.

UEFA wants to be clear until February 8. A second possibility would be that the first leg would be played in England, trusting that the situation will have changed for the second leg to be played on 10 March. The latter, however, would have to be accepted by Liverpool.

In any case, if a solution is not found, UEFA could consider the game lost for Leipzig 0-3. Although the most normal thing is that the game is played in a neutral place. London has already been proposed as a possible location. The idea of ​​reversing the playoffs and playing the first leg at Anfield is not being considered.

If the travel restrictions extend beyond the current expiration date of February 17, Manchester City's outward journey to play Borussia Mönchengladbach on the 24th may also be affected. As can happen in the Europa League, Arsenal's home and away games against Benfica may be affected by the UK's restrictions on travel to and from Portugal.