Champions League

Manchester City's clash with Real Madrid 'to go ahead as planned'

| 26 July 2020

Selected sporting events were recently granted separate exemptions from Covid-19 related quarantine measures.

Manchester City's Champions League clash with Real Madrid next month is set to go ahead as planned despite reimposed quarantine rules on travellers from Spain.

The Government removed Spain from its list of safe countries on Saturday meaning arrivals from there into the UK must now isolate for 14 days.

However, selected sporting events were recently granted separate exemptions from Covid-19 related quarantine measures – including City's Champions League last-16 second leg – and the PA news agency understands that has not changed.

City and UEFA are continuing to plan for the game to be played at the Etihad Stadium on August 7, although the European governing body has always reserved the right to move venues.

Pep Guardiola File Photo — Pep Guardiola can plan for the Champions League as normal (Martin Rickett/PA)

Quarantine exemptions announced by Government on July 5 were for people "essential to staging events", including the sports stars, event officials, coaches, medics, mechanics and incoming members of the media.

In return governing bodies and event organisers must observe "stringent protocols" with exempted individuals remaining in "controlled 'bubbled' environments behind closed doors".

This would also allow events such as the two planned Formula One grands prix at Silverstone and the snooker World Championships to go ahead.

City will carry a 2-1 aggregate lead into the rearranged clash with Real after victory in the Bernabeu in February.