display

The cup game against Bochum is almost a minor matter, the Champions League hit against Liverpool FC is a bureaucratic race against time.

RB Leipzig currently has to deal with all sorts of background noises instead of focusing completely on the possible first title in the club's history.

Even before the cup round of 16 against second division Bochum, which took place on Wednesday (6.30 p.m., in the sports ticker of the WELT), the wobbly Liverpool game was the big topic.

“Of course we are in talks with the authorities, Uefa and Liverpool.

On Monday we applied for an entry permit for the team from Liverpool.

We are waiting for feedback, ”said RB spokesman Till Müller.

The new entry ban for people from particularly affected corona mutation areas currently prevents RB from playing the first leg of the first leg against the English champions as planned on February 16 in their own stadium.

The new regulation of the federal government is initially valid until February 17th.

Club representatives had recently been optimistic about being able to play the game in their own stadium.

The goal is not to play in an alternative location, RB CEO Oliver Mintzlaff emphasized.

A spokeswoman for the Federal Ministry of the Interior also made it clear on Monday that the regulation “currently does not contain any special regulations for professional athletes”.

According to UEFA regulations, clarity must prevail by February 8th

display

Since Saturday, airlines have not been allowed to bring people from particularly affected corona mutation areas to Germany.

These areas include, for example, Brazil, South Africa and Portugal - and also Great Britain with its particularly contagious virus mutant B.1.1.7.

Exceptions are only provided for Germans and foreigners who have their place of residence in Germany.

However, they are also required to register before entering the country and to present a negative corona test.

There must be clarity by February 8th.

This is what the regulations of the European Football Union Uefa want.

“Uefa is in contact with both the clubs concerned and the German Football Association, which in turn have contact with the German government.

At the moment we cannot give any further information, ”said Uefa.

This is where you will find third-party content

In order to interact with or display content from third parties, we need your consent.

Activate external content

I consent to content from third parties being displayed to me.

This allows personal data to be transmitted to third party providers.

This may require the storage of cookies on your device.

More information can be found here.

According to Uefa regulations, Leipzig must ensure that the game is played.

If this is not possible in their own stadium, RB must suggest a neutral venue to Uefa.

An exchange of home rights would also be possible if both clubs agree.

The second leg is on March 10th.

According to Uefa, the round of 16 must be played in full by April 2nd.

If Leipzig cannot find a solution, the first leg will be rated 0: 3.

display

Coach Julian Nagelsmann does not want to let the topic get close to him yet.

Rather, he concentrates on second division Bochum - and sees the roles clearly divided.

“Of course Bochum is a bit of an underdog because of its league membership.

In the end it is up to us how we let it unfold, ”said the 33-year-old on Tuesday.

There are still three wins until the final in Berlin, in which Leipzig was already in 2019.

After all, the then opponent Bayern Munich is no longer there.

"The importance of the competition was just as great before Bayern were out as it is now," emphasized Nagelsmann.

“If you want to win the title, you still have to beat a big team or two from the Bundesliga.

And possibly a surprise team. "

To avoid a surprise in Bochum, Nagelsmann only wants to change his team selectively.

“We will choose the setup so that the basic framework and structure are stable.

I'm eager to win the game and advance, ”said the coach.

Candidates for a break are Dayot Upamecano, who recently complained of knee problems, and Dani Olmo.

Goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi and winger Angeliño are seeded.

Playmaker Emil Forsberg will definitely be missing.

The Swedish international will probably not be available again until mid-February due to knee problems.