UEFA are reportedly willing to make an exception to their same-city fixture rules for Chelsea and Tottenham.
The two Premier League heavyweights are gearing up for European knockout ties next month. Chelsea breezed into the UEFA Conference League last 16 with a perfect record in the league phase, while Spurs comfortably finished inside the top eight in the Europa League.
Under normal circumstances, UEFA rules prevent fixture ‘clashes’ whereby two clubs in the same city, or within a 50km radius, host matches on the same day. But according to The Daily Mail, European football chiefs are prepared to let both games go ahead on Thursday March 13.
Having each finished in the automatic qualifying spots for the knockout rounds, Chelsea and Spurs both earned the right to enjoy home advantage in the second leg of their upcoming last-16 showdowns.
But the prospect of a ‘clash’ may have left them wondering whether they could be asked to switch things around. The distance between Stamford Bridge and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium falls well inside the 50km threshold, and thousands of home and away fans will flood the capital.
Relevant authorities have still given the ‘green light’, providing Blues boss Enzo Maresca and his Tottenham counterpart, Ange Postecoglou, some form of clarity around what lies ahead.
Following the completion of the knockout round play-offs on Thursday evening, Chelsea now know they will play either Real Betis or FC Copenhagen in the last 16, while Tottenham will face either AZ Alkmaar or Real Sociedad. The draw for both competitions is set to take place on Friday.
Spurs boss Postecoglou will be desperate to make an impression in the first leg, having pointed out at the start of this season that he ‘always wins things in his second year’.
The north Londoners’ Premier League form has been miserable, leaving them 12th in the table with nine wins in 25 games. The Europa League is their last shot at silverware this campaign, having been knocked out of the FA Cup by Aston Villa and the Carabao Cup by Liverpool earlier this month.
Chelsea sit one point off the top four and still have plenty to fight for in the league. But Maresca has come under mounting scrutiny amid a troubling run of results which includes three defeats in their last four games across all competitions.
Content Source: www.express.co.uk