Chelsea may have to play one of their Champions League home fixtures away from Stamford Bridge, possibly at a neutral venue, in line with UEFA regulations.
On Wednesday (January 28), Liam Rosenior’s Chelsea ensured they were one of the five Premier League teams – alongside Spurs, Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City - that confirmed their spots in the Champions League round of 16 with a 3-2 win against Napoli in Naples.
The London club finished sixth out of 36 teams in the league phase, meaning they missed out on guaranteed home advantage in the second leg of their round of 16 and quarter-final clashes, which Arsenal, Bayern, Liverpool and Spurs will benefit from, with the first two sides also guaranteed home advantage in the second legs of all knockout rounds up until the final.
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Chelsea may also be dealt a further blow due to a little-known UEFA rule, which could impact where their last-16 home leg takes place.
As reported by the Mail, Chelsea may have to host the match at a neutral stadium rather than at Stamford Bridge due to regulations allowing for one game to be played in the same city - in this case London - on a particular night.
And due to the Blues’ London rivals Arsenal and Spurs finishing above Chelsea in the league phase, they reportedly take priority for the games on March 17 and 18.
The reason for this is to ensure games can be policed without impacting authorities too much.
The west London club would also likely have to request special dispensation from European football’s governing body to override the rule.
This would likely be granted due to multiple football matches taking place in London every weekend, which shows police forces are capable of dealing with such demands.
A statement from UEFA on the matter read: "The national association and clubs are required in advance to identify and announce an alternative stadium where a match can be played in the given match week.
"In such a case, the team with the lower ranking in the league phase must play in the alternative venue.
"Exceptionally, however, in such a case, a team qualified to play the second leg of these rounds may decide, by informing the UEFA administration before the draw, to reverse the tie and play the first leg at home instead of playing the second leg in an alternative venue."
Another solution may be Chelsea playing on Thursday, March 19, but this in itself would bring issues related to broadcasters and TV scheduling.
Rosenior’s side will face Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain, Qarabag or Newcastle in the round of 16.
Topics: Chelsea, Champions League, UEFA, Arsenal, Football
Luke Davies