BARCELONA stars Lionel Messi and Neymar may be refused entry into the UK if they get through to the Champions League final because of their ongoing tax evasion cases.
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin fears the duo will not be allowed to play at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium in June.
It would be some feat if the La Liga giants do end up making the final in June, as they have to turn around a 4-0 deficit after they were hammered by Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg.
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Earlier on in the season, PSG defender Serge Aurier was denied entry into the UK for their clash against Arsenal at the Emirates in November as he was in the midst of appealing a conviction for assault.
And with impending Brexit looming, Ceferin believes England will be stifled in their attempts to host either Euro 2028 or the 2030 World Cup.
London’s Wembley Stadium is due to hold both the semi-final and final of Euro 2020, but any bids to host major competitions looks to be in jeopardy.
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Ceferin told The New York Times: “If Brexit happens, everything changes, but football was played before, and it will be played in the future. Now, with free movement in the European Union, it is much better.
“I was very disappointed when Aurier, from PSG, was not allowed to enter England.
“That will worsen when Brexit happens, especially if the reasons were as formal. We could have a serious problem.
“If we see that players cannot enter because they have any sort of procedure ongoing, then we will simply think if we should play our European matches there.
“Neymar and Lionel Messi both have (tax evasion) procedures going on. This year, the Champions League final is in Cardiff. Imagine if they did not let them in.
“That is a big thing for us, if players from England can travel anywhere but players from other teams cannot travel to England. With free movement in Europe, it is much better.
“Even in 2020, if Brexit has happened, then it can be a big problem for fans. That stays firm, and we will speak to the British government, and I am sure the English Football Association will help us.”
The Catalan club face the reigning French champions at the Nou Camp on March 8 where they will hoping to avoid going out of the Round of 16 for the first time since the 2006/07 season.
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