PSV fail in attempt to move Arsenal clash | OneFootball

PSV Eindhoven have failed in their attempt to convince UEFA to move their home match against Arsenal to the Wednesday, with the fixture now confirmed for Tuesday.

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Arsenal drew PSV Eindhoven for their Champions League last-16 match on Friday, but there was initial uncertainty about when the first leg of the tie would be played.

The expectation was that the first leg in Eindhoven would be on Tuesday, March 4th, with the second leg on Wednesday, March 12th. That was because Arsenal play Manchester United on Sunday, March 9th, which should mean a Wednesday game afterwards.

The Manchester United game can’t be moved to the Saturday because United play their Europa League match on the previous Thursday. And UEFA prefer to have one leg on a Tuesday and the other on a Wednesday whenever possible.

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Yet PSV pushed to move the first leg to Wednesday, March 5th, because they’re hosting a carnival in the city until the Tuesday. The club argued that they’ll face difficulties with policing both events on the same night.

Those complaints fell on deaf ears, with Arsenal subsequently confirming the match will be played on the Tuesday.

It’s not the first time PSV have failed with the same request, having also asked to move their Tuesday match against Arsenal to the Wednesday all the way back in 2007. UEFA rejected the plea on that occasion as well.

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Matchgoing Arsenal fans will just have to hope their safety and travel plans aren’t impacted by the carnival clash.