With Britan set to host this year’s Champions League final, Barcelona’s stars Lionel Messi and Neymar could be stopped from playing in the final, according to reports from the New York Times.
The Champions League final has always been Europe’s hottest football match at the end of the season and this year it may not feature Neymar and Lionel Messi, providing if their club goes all the way to the final in June.
Wembley has been the major stadium to host this historical event on two occasions over the last decade, however, this year the final will be hosted by the Wales capital, Cardiff. There will be some controversy this time around and it’s all thanks to British politics.
The President of UEFA Aleksander Ceferin has made a shocking claim in the New York Times that Barcelona players like Neymar and Lionel Messi could be refused entry into the UK. It may appear to have something to do with Brexit,
With the country’s new laws, the reason why the Barcelona pair will be denied entry is because they are both involved in legal proceedings.
“Neymar and Lionel Messi both have procedures going on. This year, the Champions League final is in Cardiff. Imagine if they did not let them in,” Ceferin told New York Times reporters.
“That is a big thing for us, if players from England can travel anywhere but players from other teams cannot travel to England. With free movement in Europe, it is much better.”
This sort of problem has happened before when PSG defender Serge Aurier couldn’t play last year’s Champions League fixture against Arsenal. The Ivorian defender had a conviction for assault, which is was prevented him gaining entry into the UK.
At this stage, Barcelona needs a miracle to come back from 4-0 down in the second leg against PSG on March 9 in the round of 16 Champions League. However, it will be a tragedy for Barcelona fans if their team makes it all the way and cannot field their top two strikers.
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