UEFA announced the kick-off times for next week’s Europa League match-ups and despite repeated requests by Real Betis to have their second leg elimination tie with Rubin Kazan moved from Kazan stadium to Tsentralniy (Central Stadium), it appears to have fallen on deaf ears as UEFA confirmed the match would be at the original venue but the kick-off time has been changed from 18:00 to 19:00.
Real Betis will play the first leg on 20th February at the Benito Villamarin, but requested that the venue for the return leg be changed from Kazan Stadium, as they are concerned about the articifical turf and the extremely cold conditions putting their players at serious risk of injury, while suggesting they play at Tsentralniy (Central Stadium), where there is natural turf and better whether.
However, UEFA has so far denied their request and deemed Kazan the only safe place to hold the match., as was announced on the club’s official website.
The second leg of the Europa League Round of 16 between Rubin Kazán and Real Betis will finally be held at the Rubin Kazán Stadium. According to the communication the Club received from UEFA yesterday. The European Football body has decided that the match is to be played at these facilities, owned by the Russian team, because it is the only pitch in the area with artificial turf.
Today the city is covered with snow and no improvement is forecast for the day of the match. For this reason, UEFA has ruled out the possibility of playing at Tsentralniy (Central Stadium) as it has natural turf and provides no guarantee that the match will be held. In the case of the Kazan Arena, under construction for the 2018 World Cup, the stadium has not yet received approval to hold matches.
In previous seasons, FC Rubin Kazán have played European qualifying matches at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, but given it is also undergoing reconstruction work for the World Cup UEFA has opted for the aforementioned alternative. The presence of snow throughout the Russian winter forces matches to be played during the coldest moths to be held at stadiums with artificial turf.
Real Betis president, Miguel Guillen is expected to request that the Spanish Football Federation intervene on their behalf and request the venue change.
Should Betis advance to the next round, they could possibly meet their cross-town rivals Sevilla in a Europa League Sevilla Derby.
Real Betis will play the first leg on 20th February at the Benito Villamarin, but requested that the venue for the return leg be changed from Kazan Stadium, as they are concerned about the articifical turf and the extremely cold conditions putting their players at serious risk of injury, while suggesting they play at Tsentralniy (Central Stadium), where there is natural turf and better whether.
However, UEFA has so far denied their request and deemed Kazan the only safe place to hold the match., as was announced on the club’s official website.
The second leg of the Europa League Round of 16 between Rubin Kazán and Real Betis will finally be held at the Rubin Kazán Stadium. According to the communication the Club received from UEFA yesterday. The European Football body has decided that the match is to be played at these facilities, owned by the Russian team, because it is the only pitch in the area with artificial turf.
Today the city is covered with snow and no improvement is forecast for the day of the match. For this reason, UEFA has ruled out the possibility of playing at Tsentralniy (Central Stadium) as it has natural turf and provides no guarantee that the match will be held. In the case of the Kazan Arena, under construction for the 2018 World Cup, the stadium has not yet received approval to hold matches.
In previous seasons, FC Rubin Kazán have played European qualifying matches at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, but given it is also undergoing reconstruction work for the World Cup UEFA has opted for the aforementioned alternative. The presence of snow throughout the Russian winter forces matches to be played during the coldest moths to be held at stadiums with artificial turf.
Real Betis president, Miguel Guillen is expected to request that the Spanish Football Federation intervene on their behalf and request the venue change.
Should Betis advance to the next round, they could possibly meet their cross-town rivals Sevilla in a Europa League Sevilla Derby.