The Daily Mail reported that Chelsea and Liverpool's respective Champions League round of 16 matches against Lille and Inter Milan could be shifted to a midfield due to restrictions on mandatory vaccination rules for professional athletes introduced by the French and Italian governments.
Under the new regulations that will come into effect later this month, all professional and amateur athletes in France and Italy must hold a certificate of C vaccination to enter the venue. Given the low vaccination rates of some Premier League clubs, this could have an impact on the availability of players at clubs playing in Europe.
Sources reveal that UEFA has no plans at this stage to rewrite their rules to make vaccination mandatory, especially due to the apparent differences in vaccine availability and vaccination situations across Europe. Therefore, if a player from Chelsea or Liverpool is not vaccinated before next month's match, they will be considered positive for covid-19 and unable to play.
UEFA rules stipulate that clubs with 13 players (including a goalkeeper) must complete the game, but if restrictions imposed by the government, such as mandatory vaccinations, cause the team to be depleted, the game can be moved elsewhere.
(Lin Yuan)
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