Champions League: the RB Leipzig–Liverpool match could even be held in Budapest

It was previously known that RB Leipzig, which also employs Hungarian national team members Péter Gulácsi, Willi Orbán and Dominik Szoboszlai, wouldn't be able to host the English rival in its own stadium because Germany had imposed an entry ban on certain countries, including Great Britain until February 17. A spokesman for the Ministry of Interior of Germany told German news agency dpa on Thursday that the police had rejected Leipzig's special request. Now, Leipzig as the host of the match would have to find a solution according to UEFA's rules.

Leipzig has to outline their options until Monday, and if there is no alternative to the venue, the worst-case scenario is to hand Liverpool a 3-0 win. The knockout matches are due to conclude on April 2, with the Leipzig-Liverpool rematch being held in England on March 10.

The options include postponing the match on February 16, but due to the already busy schedule, there is a little chance of that. Another solution could be switching the ties with playing the first leg in Liverpool, and the rematch would be in Leipzig on March 10.

Leipzig also has the option to offer a neutral venue which UEFA would have to approve. For the Germans, Red Bull Salzburg Arena may the closest solution, but the Puskás Aréna in Budapest is also a possibility as UEFA authorized the European Super Cup to be played there last year during the pandemic.

Since Saturday, a strict entry ban has been in place in Germany for areas where the faster-spreading variants of the coronavirus have appeared. The exceptions are German citizens and foreigners who have permanent residency in Germany, but the latter are only allowed to enter the country with a negative test.

Translated by Vanda Orosz