Manchester United will be forced to train in the German lower league if they beat Copenhagen in the quarter-finals of the Europa League … and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men could face the 13-DAY block if they reach the final
- Man United could have to train in a fourth-tier court if they beat Copenhagen
- They will use the facilities of Fortuna Koln if they advance to the Europa League semi-finals
- The Red Devils’ men could be locked up in Cologne for 13 days if they reach the final
Manchester United will have to train at a lower-league German club and face a 13-day lockdown in Cologne if they advance to the Europa League.
The knockout stage is played for the first time in tournament format following the coronavirus pandemic, with strict safety protocols on the eight remaining clubs in the competition.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his players will fly to Germany on Sunday and train at the 50,000-seat RheinEnergie Stadion, where they will face Copenhagen behind closed doors in Monday’s quarter-finals.
Man United will have to use the fourth tier facilities if they advance to the Europa League semi-finals
But United were surprised to find that UEFA has awarded them a training ground at the 12,000-seat Sudstadion, home to fourth-division team Fortuna Koln, or a third-division alternative should they go through.
They were hoping to have access to the facilities of a Bundesliga club, but have been told they will all be used in preparation for the start of the new German season next month.
The rules will be the same for every team, with Bayer Leverkusen forced to abandon their state-of-the-art complex and train 20 miles away in Dusseldorf before facing Inter Milan there on Monday.
It is understood that the four-star hotel booked for United is also a bit below the usual standards for European travel.
Solskjaer preferred moving in and out of Germany for the tournament and working with his team in Carrington as usual.
The Red Devils will train at Fortuna Koln Sudstadion if they beat Copenhagen
“There has been a discussion at a higher level than me about how the tournament will turn out,” the United boss said earlier this week.
“You could think of it as just one game and go to an away game, but at the moment it looks like we’ll be staying for the tournament.”
United could be in Cologne for up to 13 days if they reach the final there on 21 August.
Victory over Copenhagen on Monday would feature a semi-final against the winner of Wolves and Sevilla in the same venue next weekend.
In addition to complying with the usual testing and safety measures, United players will only be able to leave the hotel to play games and train.
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