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Posts Tagged ‘uefa europa league’

• Volcanic ash complicates journey to face Atlético
• Players will start with train ride to London today

Liverpool are due to start a 24-hour journey by train and plane to Madrid today after Uefa said their Europa League semi‑final against Atlético, and Fulham’s first leg at Hamburg, should take place as scheduled on Thursday.

Despite concerns over the travel chaos caused by the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud, articulated by both clubs to European football’s governing body, Uefa refused to delay the ties. Liverpool face an arduous journey to the Spanish capital, although not as gruelling as initially feared.

Rafael Benítez’s squad will travel by train from Merseyside to London this afternoon and then take the Eurostar to Paris, where they will stay overnight. Tomorrow morning Liverpool will take a train to Bordeaux, before a short flight to Madrid. A decision has not been made on the return trip and Liverpool hope the gradual reopening of UK airspace will allow for a flight home.

Benítez said: “People are working hard to prepare a Plan A and Plan B. There are not too many options on the date. I don’t like to play Mondays but hopefully everyone will be fresh and it won’t be a problem. I don’t think it will give Atlético an advantage for the game because we should be there in enough time to rest.”

There is a slight chance that the relaxation of the no-fly zones will enable Liverpool to fly to Madrid from Stansted airport as planned, although a decision will not be taken until this afternoon. Despite the uncertainty over their return from Spain, Liverpool accept they must fulfil their Premier League fixture at Burnley on Sunday. There is also no suggestion that Fulham’s league game at Everton on the same day will be postponed and the club remains in the dark over whether supporters’ flights to Hamburg will depart as scheduled.

Fernando Torres, meanwhile, is optimistic he will be fit for the World Cup and has been reassured of his place in Spain’s squad by the national team’s sporting director, Fernando Hierro. The Liverpool striker will miss a reunion with former club Atlético and the rest of the domestic season with a knee injury.

LiverpoolUefa Europa LeagueAndy Hunterguardian.co.uk

• Uefa to rule on whether Europa League tie should go ahead
• Volcanic ash cloud causes widespread disruption

Liverpool are looking at a contingency plan for alternative travel options to Madrid should Uefa decide to press ahead with their Europa League semi-final against Atlético on Thursday.

European football’s governing body is yet to rule on whether the last-four first-leg clashes – Fulham also have to go to Hamburg – will go ahead because of the chaos caused by a cloud of volcanic ash which has grounded thousands of flights across the continent.

However, having already insisted the Champions League semi-finals between Internazionale and Barcelona and Bayern Munich and Lyon will go ahead, forcing the Spanish and French sides to travel by coach, there is a real possibility Uefa will follow suit with the Europa League.

With the flying ban extended until tomorrow morning at the earliest Liverpool are having to plan for a worst-case scenario by tackling the 2,600-mile round trip overland.

It is not an option the club are happy with but are wary of the precedent which appears to have been set by the decision to play the Champions League semis.

Sources at the club have pointed out that it is easier for Barcelona and Lyon to get to their destinations in continental Europe than it is to make the trek from north-west England to central Spain.

The journey by road would take an estimated 21 hours non-stop but that would be impractical, although the alternative of a two-day trip would mean the squad would have to leave just a few hours after tonight’s Premier League match at home to West Ham and get back shortly before an away game at Burnley on Sunday.

A combination of road and rail travel is another potential option but any plans cannot be finalised until Uefa have made their decision.

LiverpoolUefa Europa LeagueAtlético MadridNatural disasters and extreme weatherJames Callowguardian.co.uk

• Barcelona embark on two-day coach journey to fulfil fixture
• MotoGP event in Japan cancelled due to flight restrictions

The volcanic ash cloud has caused large-scale disruption to this week’s sporting events, causing cancellations and forcing teams to take to the roads.

The Champions League semi-final first legs, scheduled for tomorrow and Wednesday, will go ahead, with Barcelona and Lyon embarking on lengthy coach trips.

Barcelona began their journey by bus yesterday, driving 394 miles to Cannes, before this morning travelling the remaining 218 miles to Milan, where they meet Internazionale tomorrow evening.

“The two Uefa Champions League semi-final first legs will go ahead as scheduled this week despite the current restrictions on European air travel,” read a statement on Uefa’s website, which also revealed a decision would be taken “in the coming days” about whether Thursday’s two Europa League semi-finals between Atlético Madrid and Liverpool, and Hamburg and Fulham would go ahead as planned.

Newcastle have also been forced to make the 400-mile journey to Plymouth for tonight’s Championship clash by coach.

The FIM Moto GP World Championship race in Japan on Sunday, meanwhile, has been called off. With the Spanish round at Jerez – a flagship home race for the series’ rights holders, Dorna – due to be staged a week later, there had been fears over teams being stranded in Japan.

A statement from the FIM read: “The recent volcano eruption in Iceland has resulted in an ash cloud cover infiltration. Air traffic space over Europe has stopped all international travel in and out of Europe. This case of ‘force majeure’ has obliged the grand prix permanent bureau to postpone the grand prix of Japan planned on 25 April 2010.”

The final leg of the Diving World Series, due to be staged in Sheffield this week, was rearranged to take place in Veracruz, Mexico, following the conclusion of the second leg there on Saturday.

The Moroccan Golf Classic has been postponed but the Ballantine’s Championship in Korea on the full PGA European Tour is unlikely to be affected, with the majority of players already in Asia after the Volvo China Open.

The Formula One commercial rights holder, Bernie Ecclestone, has no doubts the Spanish grand prix will go ahead on 9 May despite teams fearing their preparations could be hampered.

When asked whether the grand prix could potentially be postponed, Ecclestone said: “No. Not at all. There are no problems with the race.”

The three-day eventer Oliver Townend was today hoping to jet out to Kentucky in a bid to land the Rolex Grand Slam and the £230,000 reward on offer.

Having won at both Badminton and Burghley, the Yorkshireman is chasing the final leg of the slam – and the lucrative prize – in Lexington but is having to do so after a tortuous journey across Europe to avoid the ash cloud.

His trek began in Ellesmere and has taken in Crewe, London and Paris, from where he caught a taxi to Madrid with a view to flying out of the Spanish capital for the United States this afternoon.

MotoGPFormula OneMotor sportBarcelonaChampions LeagueUefa Europa LeagueLiverpoolFulhamNatural disasters and extreme weatherJames Callowguardian.co.uk