How the UK Government’s latest travel ban could affect Barry’s European preparations
Barry Town v Cliftonville in the Europa League Preliminary Round at Leckwith Stadium. Lewis Mitchell/YCPD.
Barry Town United’s Europa League preliminary round draw may already be altered after Andorra was added to Wales’ quarantine list.
Those arriving from midnight tonight from Andorra, Belgium and the Bahamas will now have to quarantine for 14 days.
Two of Barry’s prospective opponents come from Andorra and are seeded in the draw.
FC Santa Coloma and UE Engordany, both play in the Primera Divisió, the top tier of Andorran football.
Barry are due to find out their opponents on Sunday, 9 August with their qualifier taking place on Thursday, 20 August.
In a statement penned by Vaughn Gething, the Minister for Health and Social Services for the Welsh Government, it read: “Yesterday I attended a meeting of ministers from all four UK countries to consider the public health risk posed by an increasing prevalence of COVID-19 in Andorra, the Bahamas and Belgium.
“Having considered the evidence for the public health risk now posed by travellers who enter the UK from these places, the Welsh Government will later today remove Andorra, the Bahamas and Belgium from the list of countries and territories exempt from our health measures at the border.”
The travel ban comes just a few days after UEFA released guidelines around travel restrictions.
Clubs will have to inform the European body of travel restrictions at least 48 hours to the draw.
A failure to do so could result in an automatic 3-0 defeat for any clubs who don’t notify UEFA.
Should a club be drawn against an opponent that is not allowed to travel to the country, the host club must fin an ‘appropriate neutral venue’ to host the fixture.
This could result in Barry having to play an Andorran club or any side who comes from a country which has travel ban imposed them on foreign soil, despite the possibility of being named as the home side.
If a club fails to provide a suitable venue then the host club will have to forfeit the fixture.
Barry Town United have already announced the COVID-19 compliant Cardiff City Stadium as their home venue for European fixtures.
