Atletico Madrid forced to move Chelsea home game to Bucharest
Diego Simeone's side have given up home advantage in their Champions League tie
Atletico Madrid will have to play their Champions League tie against Chelsea in Bucharest due to travel restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Atletico were due to host the first leg in Madrid on Feb. 23 but the game will instead be played at the Arena Naţională because of a ban on flights arriving in Spain from England.
As things stand, the second leg is still set to be played at Stamford Bridge in March, with away goals still counting despite Atletico giving up home advantage.
"UEFA is able to officially confirm that the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg match between Club Atlético de Madrid and Chelsea FC will now be played at the Arena Naţională in Bucharest," UEFA confirmed on Wednesday.
"The date of the match (23 February 2021) and the kick-off time (21:00 CET) will remain the same.
"UEFA would like to express its gratitude to Club Atlético de Madrid and Chelsea FC for their support and close cooperation, as well as the Romanian Football Federation for their assistance and agreeing to stage the match."
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