Manchester City’s UEFA Champions League trip to German side RB Leipzig on December 7 will be played without fans and behind closed doors, due to a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases in Germany.
Local authorities are placing Saxony into a partial lockdown, with other events in the region also cancelled in the coming weeks.
There is continuing speculation that Germany will follow neighbouring Austria’s lead by introducing a full lockdown in the coming days, which would cause a significant impact on live entertainment in the run-up to Christmas, traditionally a lucrative time of the year for the industry.
A statement from English Premier League club Manchester City said: “Following a rise in COVID-19 rates in Germany, regional authorities will be placing the state of Saxony into a partial lockdown.
“This means that RB Leipzig’s UEFA Champions League match against Manchester City on Tuesday 7th December at the Red Bull Arena will now be played behind closed doors, without supporters in attendance.
“Manchester City supporters who had purchased a ticket for this match will receive a full ticket refund. The club will contact impacted supporters in the coming days to confirm that the refund has been processed.”
RB Leipzig will also have to play its upcoming home games in the German Bundesliga against Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Monchengladbach, as well as the match against Man City in between, without fans.
The state of Bavaria is also cancelling events due to a tightening of restrictions. All tickets purchased for events at the Bayerische Staatsoper venue in Munich between November 24 and December 15, with tickets automatically being refunded. Tickets for events up to tomorrow (Tuesday) are still valid if the attendee is vaccinated against COVID-19 or recovered.
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