Liverpool will not be able to enter Germany for the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 match against Leipzig on 16 February due to measures against the spread of the coronavirus which prohibits the entry into the country of people from areas where mutations are highly widespread.
German federal police on Thursday rejected a request from Leipzig for special permission to be granted to Liverpool.
A spokeswoman for the Interior Ministry explained that the case of Liverpool is not contemplated in any of the possible exceptions to the general rule.
the Leipzig will now have to find a neutral venue and bear the additional costs of moving the match.
UEFA wants clarity by 8 February. A second possibility would be for the first leg to be played in England confident that the situation will have changed for the return match to be played on 10 March.
The latter, however, should be accepted by Liverpool.
In any case, if no solution is found UEFA could lose the game to Leipzig 0-3.