11 November 2020

Gareth Southgate admits England v Iceland game may have to be held in Germany

11 November 2020

England manager Gareth Southgate admits next week’s home Nations League match against Iceland could be held in Germany rather than Wembley.

The national stadium hosts a friendly against the Republic of Ireland behind closed doors on Thursday, before the Three Lions head to Belgium for a crunch clash against the world’s top-ranked side on Sunday.

England complete their Nations League campaign – and 2020 fixtures – against Iceland next Wednesday, but it remains unclear whether the fixture can be hosted on home soil.

The Icelandic team would be travelling in following Sunday’s match in Denmark – a country subject to enhanced travel restrictions due to a new strain of Covid-19.

Gareth Southgate's team may be heading for Germany (PA Wire)

Those regulations set by the UK Government do not exempt sportspeople and UEFA has put Albania forward as a potential neutral venue, with the FA holding conversations with their German counterparts about it being played there.

Asked if there were any updates on the situation, Southgate said: “We will know more tomorrow. Discussions with Government can only happen tomorrow.

“There is an alternative option if we can’t play in England and it looks as though taking the game to Germany would be the strongest possibility.

“We’ll know more after there have been discussions with Government and they have to be based on the medical situation.”

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