Champions League games WILL see fans at 30 per cent capacity if local coronavirus rules allows
UEFA have given the green light for fans to return – but only where national governments allow.
In a move that will add to pressure from Prem sides for a UK Government U-turn, European football’s ruling executive committee has agreed that fan numbers will be capped at 30 per cent of stadium capacity.
But there will be no away supporters allowed for now.
The change, which will apply to all competitive games under the Uefa umbrella, will come into effect from next week’s international break.
This will include the delayed Euro 2020 play-off semi-finals and the National League group stage.
Fans will be ordered to socially distance and wear masks in line with local regulations.
But it will not apply for any of England’s games next week or the opening Champions League or Europa League home games for English sides unless the Government relents on its current ban on attendances.
Uefa President Aleksander Ceferin said: “This is a sensible first step which puts fans’ health first and respects the laws in each country.
“Different countries have different approaches and different challenges at any given moment but 27 countries on the continent already allow fans to some extent.
“This allows a coherent approach on a country-by-country basis and not on a competition-by-competition basis which was sometimes difficult to understand for fans.”
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The move comes just weeks after European football was warned of a cash ‘crisis’ which will last for two years.
Clubs face being hit by a triple whammy of no gate income, reduced TV money and sponsors demanding lower value deals.
And Europe’s biggest sides including Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City will also be hit by a £530million cut in Uefa prize money for the Champions League and Europa League.
The gloomy forecast was given by Juventus president Andrea Agnelli.
Agnell told an audience of Europe’s biggest clubs that the real price of the Covid-19 pandemic has still to be paid.
Speaking at the opening of the virtual general assembly of the European Club Association, Agnelli said: “None of us could have imagined what we have had to live with over recent months.
“Now we are looking at a top revenue decrease of approximately £3.6billion in the next two years.
“According to Fifa, 90 per cent of those top line losses will be borne by clubs.
“I don’t believe we will have a full scope of what this means to us until we have the first set of accounts published this autumn.
“But we do have a set of facts which we have to face.”