Due to a change in French law, Real Madrid and Chelsea may be forced to leave unvaccinated players at home for the away legs of their forthcoming Champions League last-16 matches.
To enter sporting arenas and other public areas in France, documentation of vaccination or a recent COVID-19 recovery is required, according to a measure voted by the French parliament on Sunday. The new rule will go into force on Monday.
On February 15, Real Madrid will play Paris Saint-Germain in the opening leg of their last-16 tie. In the same round of the competition, Chelsea will face Lille, with the match slated for March 16 in France.
"UEFA is in contact with relevant stakeholders across Europe in preparation for the return of UEFA's club tournaments in February," UEFA said in a statement to ESPN's James Olley on Thursday.
Clubs must follow the rules in each country, according to UEFA. However, European football's regulatory body has stated that exemptions for Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League participants are being considered.
"Each team will be required to comply with the applicable rules in the country where the match takes place," UEFA said, "but the specific competition Annexes - still under development - which contain special rules due to COVID-19 applicable to the knockout phase, may provide additional guidance in this regard."
According to Olley, UEFA's guidelines state that both legs of the round-of-16 ties may be played in a neutral country.
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