Final whistle before kick-off!
The Europa League round of 16 RB Leipzig once morest Spartak Moscow (date: March 10th and 17th) will be canceled today by UEFA due to the Ukraine war, according to BILD information! For RB Leipzig this means: The club moves into the quarter-finals without a fight (date: April 7th/14th). There shouldn’t be a new opponent through a follow-up procedure.
Club boss Oliver Mintzlaff (46): “We continue to be in close contact with the associations and have complete confidence in Uefa and their decision. We assume that the games will be cancelled.”
There had already been movement in the matter over the weekend. Leipzig had announced: “RB is currently in intensive talks with Uefa regarding how to proceed in the round of 16 games in the Europa League once morest Spartak Moscow and assumes that the association will make a decision in the near future.”
On Sunday, UEFA decided that Russia would no longer be allowed to play international games on its own territory, but only on neutral ground. The Russians probably planned the home game in Yerevan (Armenia) or Baku (Azerbaijan). Now that too is obsolete.
Good for RB: The club now has planning security and a solution in its interest. Coach Domenico Tedesco (36) said at the weekend: “When the question of a boycott comes up: In my opinion, it always hits the wrong people. It primarily affects the athletes and the fans.”