Match postponed after the decisive interview between referee Taylor and the two coaches
In the end Atalanta-Villarreal was postponed due to snow e will be played on Thursday at 19. After an initial communication that indicated the time of the new kick-off at 16.30, Uefa retraced its steps by accepting the requests of the two clubs (of Atalanta in primis) who insisted on taking the field later, at in order to protect the fans and allow easier access to the stadium after business hours.
–
The decision to postpone the match was taken to ensure the safety of the players (given the ground covered by snow, not despite the work of the shovellers) and for the importance of the match, with the two teams fighting for second place in the group. Uefa’s position was initially to play in any case and then evaluate in progress, but the field would be ruined and consequently risked becoming impracticable due to the possible new start. After returning to the locker room, Uefa had communicated to the two clubs the time of the new kick-off, initially set for Thursday afternoon at 16.30. However, Atalanta and Villarreal agreed to play at 20.30, an overlap in the Europa League program which Uefa opposed. After new talks the final decision to play at 7pm.
To clarify the reason for today’s postponement, the Atalanta CEO took care of it, Umberto Marino: “The referee tried to play until the end, evaluated the evolution of the weather situation and then rightly confronted the two coaches and decided to postpone the match also on the basis of a technical opinion that evaluated the risks that could entail for the players to take the field “.
–
