Real Madrid will play the first leg against Chelsea behind closed doors

The British government’s sanctions against Roman Abramovich ended up affecting Real Madrid, who will meet Chelsea in the Champions League quarter-finals. Economic restrictions imposed by the British government prevent the London team from selling tickets for Stamford Bridge, which also does not own Champions League season ticket holders, so will have to play behind closed doors.

The blue team can welcome their fans into their stadium only if they find a new owner before the match against Madrid. A complicated scenario, because the Chelsea sale process is still in progress: it is precisely today that the deadline for submitting offers for the London team ends. In any case, on Tuesday 22 March there will be a meeting between the clubs and UEFA in which it will be decided whether there will be an audience or not.

Similarly, the possibility of UEFA selling Chelsea tickets for their home matches in the Champions League was explored, but this alternative was soon discarded, again due to the sanction against Abramovich. Thus, only in the event that Chelsea reach the final, UEFA can sell tickets to their fans.

Despite this, Thomas Tuchel, the Chelsea manager, still hopes to have a crowd in the stands. He explained in the press conference: “I trust the board of directors, which is conducting a dialogue with the European Football Association and with the government to find an exception or a logical exemption that will allow a solution to be found so that the fans are in the stadium.”

The German coach knows the importance of the presence of his fans in the match, which is why he admitted: “It would be unfavorable, but this match is for spectators and the result changes with the spectators. I’m sure everyone will help. These matches, any match, are for spectators and differ if the fans are in the stadium.”

Source: AS