Vaccination has become a delicate issue all over the world, and sports aren't exempt from that. From Kyrie Irving to Aaron Rodgers and Novak Djokovic; some elite athletes have taken a strong stance against it.
Local governments, on the other hand, figure out to strengthen their restrictions to prevent the spread of the virus, sometimes putting the athletes in a tough spot when they have to go on the road.
That could be the case again for Real Madrid and Chelsea players, as the new restrictions in France require all visitors to be fully vaccinated to enter an arena. With them set to play PSG and Lille, respectively; that could be a problem for their upcoming UCL fixtures.
Real Madrid And Chelsea Could Be Force To Snub Unvaccinated Players For UCL Games In France
(Via ESPN)
"French lawmakers have approved a change that is set to come into effect on Monday, modifying the country's coronavirus health pass into a vaccine pass. This means only vaccinated people or anyone who has recently recovered from COVID-19 will be able to enter large arenas.
French sports minister Roxana Maracineanu insisted last week that it would apply to "all spectators, athletes, French or foreign professionals," raising serious doubts over the involvement of any unvaccinated players in Real's or Chelsea's squads."
The Games Could Be Moved To A Neutral Country
Even so, there's still a chance that some of the unvaccinated players get an exemption or that the games could be moved to a neutral site. That, assuming any of the teams appeal and they're able to come to an agreement soon:
"UEFA told ESPN in a statement on Thursday that clubs would have to adhere to the rules in each country, but they are still in discussions over whether exemptions will be possible.
It remains possible that a neutral country could be suggested for both games, according to UEFA's guidelines. Annex J, UEFA's specific COVID-19 section of the guidance, states "the home club must propose a suitable alternative venue ... which may be in a neutral country" if restrictions apply to visiting teams."
This will certainly raise some contrasting takes on social media but it's just the world we're living in nowadays. Hopefully, this will all go away sooner rather than later and we'll just be back to normal.
