Arsenal likely to play Benfica Europa League tie at neutral venue after Portugal placed on Covid ‘red list’

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Arsenal are increasingly likely to play the first leg of their Europa League tie against Benfica next month at a neutral venue due to new travel restrictions between the UK and Portugal.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said yesterday that travellers heading back to the UK from “red list” countries will be “met at the airport and transported directly into quarantine” for a period of 10 days.

Portugal is one of the countries on the “red list” and, as there will be no exemptions for elite sporting athletes, it would mean Arsenal would have to quarantine for 10 days upon returning from Lisbon.

The Gunners are set to face Benfica in Lisbon on February 18 for the first leg of their round-of-32 tie, but a neutral venue is now looking the only option or else Arsenal's squad would have to quarantine for 10 days - which would majorly disrupt their schedule.

The return leg against Benfica is due to be played at Emirates Stadium the following week, but, under the guidelines, all of the north London club’s travelling party to Portugal would be subjected to 10 days of hotel quarantine.

It would also cause major issues for Arsenal’s Premier League games against Manchester City (February 21) and Leicester (February 27).

The solution is for the first leg to be played at a neutral venue and new rules implemented by UEFA due to the Covid-19 pandemic allow for such a situation to take place. The onus is on Benfica, the home team, to find a new venue.

If they do not, then UEFA may step in to help finalise when and where the match between Arsenal and Benfica takes place.

Arsenal had already been seeking Government guidance on the matter, before the “red list” was announced this week, as a ban on travellers to the UK from Portugal was already in place.

The UEFA rules on the matter state: “If restrictions imposed by the national/local authorities of the visiting club’s country apply to the visiting club’s travel to play the match or its return home after the match, the home club must propose a suitable alternative venue which may be in a neutral country (within the territory of a UEFA member association) that would allow the match to take place and would not cause the visiting club any restrictions in either travel direction. 

“If the home club fails to propose such suitable alternative venue, the UEFA administration will take a final decision on the match venue and/or match date. 

“The home club will remain responsible for the organisation of the match and both clubs will share the related costs in equal measure.

“Furthermore, an amount equal to 10 % of the fixed starting fee received in the competition (in accordance with Paragraph 61.06 of the UEFA Champions League regulations and Paragraph 58.06 of the UEFA Europa League regulations) will be deducted from the payments due to the visiting club and paid to the home club as a compensation. 

“If either club refuses to take part in the match, it will be held responsible for the match not taking place and the match will be declared by the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body to be forfeited by such club, which

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