Champions League: Liverpool's last-16 away game against RB Leipzig to be moved to Budapest, say reports

Berlin: Talks are reportedly underway to hold Liverpool’s Champions League last-16 first leg tie at RB Leipzig in Budapest although the German club said no decision had yet been made. The six-time winners have been stopped from entering Germany  for the fixture on 16 February because of strict entry rules imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic. UEFA’s regulations say the Bundesliga side must find a way of hosting the match or risk forfeiting it as a 3-0 defeat. Liverpool’s German manager Jurgen Klopp said he believed an exemption should have been made for his side to travel. All Premier League sides are being tested at least twice a week with UEFA also undertaking a testing programme for teams in the Champions and Europa League. “It’s not our decision, nobody from Germany called me and asked me how is the situation in England,” Klopp said at a press conference on Friday. “With all the stuff we are doing here, the record we have with cases, the discipline we show with all the stuff we do, I think it would be absolutely reasonable to make an exception.” Reports in the British media claim Leipzig are in discussions to host the game at the Puskas Arena in the Hungarian capital, among other options. A spokesperson from the Hungarian Football Federation told AFP it would accept a request if one was made. “Everything is still possible but no decision has yet been made. We have to verify certain points,” a Leipizig official told AFP on Friday. Later Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann said he remained confident the encounter would go ahead. “I go on the principle that the match won’t be cancelled. In any case, we’ll prepare as well as possible to try and play well against Liverpool,” he said. The decision from the German authorities also places a question mark over another Champions League last-16 match, as Borussia Moenchengladbach host Manchester City on 24 February.