A little-known UEFA rule could damage Chelsea‘s Champions League chances.
The Blues qualified for the last-16 of the tournament with a 3-2 away win against Napoli on Wednesday night.
But they might be forced to give up playing their home leg at Stamford Bridge in the next round in what would be a massive blow, should it come to pass.
Instead, Chelsea would have to host the game at a neutral stadium due to one of UEFA’s regulations that only allow for one game to be played in a city on any given night.
Arsenal and Tottenham finished above Chelsea in the group stage, meaning they take priority for the Tuesday and Wednesday night fixtures on March 17 and 18.
The reasoning behind the rule is so that games can be adequately policed without stretching the security too thin.
Chelsea may not be allowed to play at home in their Champions League last-16 tie
So Chelsea would have to seek special dispensation from UEFA to discard their rule while also getting support from the authorities in London to host the clash.
Given that plenty of London football matches are played on the same day at the weekend, that aspect should not be an issue.
UEFA say teams cannot play in the same stadium, city or in cities within 30 miles on a matchday.
For knockout games, they insist: ‘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.’
Chelsea could ask to play on a Thursday, outside of the usual Tuesday and Wednesday Champions League slots.
Liam Rosenior’s side are ranked lower than Arsenal and Tottenham, who have priority
But that would require a change in scheduling for broadcasters that they may be unwilling to make.
A UEFA statement read: ‘Discussions on scheduling are ongoing with local authorities regarding city clashes for upcoming matches, including those to be played in March.’
Chelsea will face one of Monaco, Qarabag, Newcastle or PSG in their last-16 game and will not want to give up the advantage of a home leg in the tie.
