Union of European Football Association (UEFA) has on Tuesday confirmed that Europa League clash between Arsenal and Benfica will be played in Rome and Athens, due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The two sides were scheduled to meet in England or Portugal for the last-32 clash. However, Arsenal’s traveling team will have to quarantine for 10 days if they travel down to Portugal for the clash due to UK’s restrictions.
The quarantine period will be detrimental to their Premier League fixtures, training sessions and return leg of the Europa League.
Therefore, Benfica’s ‘home’ game will take place in Rome’s Stadio Olimpico, Italy on February 18, while Arsenal will then play their ‘home’ game in Athens, 2,000 miles from their home Emirates. The game will be played at Olympiacos’ karaiskakis Stadium, Greece.
UEFA have also confirmed away goals will still count double, even though both legs are going to be played on neutral territories.
Manchester United will also play part of their double legged Europa League clash against Real Soceidad on a neutral territory.
Spanish Government restriction on travel from UK mean Sociedad cannot host United in the first leg of the last-32 tie. The first leg tie will be played at Juventus’s Stadium on February 18 at 6:55pm.
The second leg will still be held at United’s home tuff Old Trafford a week later, scheduled to kick off by 9pm.
Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City can fly to Austria and Czech respectively for their clash against Wolfsberger and Slavia Prague as no COVID regulation restrains them.
Meanwhile, in the Champions League, Chelsea’s first leg against Atletico Madrid is set to be switched to either Bucharest, Romania or Warsaw, Poland.
UEFA earlier announced Liverpool match game against Leipzig and Manchester City’s game against Borussia Monchengladbach are going to be played at Budapest’s Puskas Arena, Hungary.
