Scotland vs Czech Republic match to go ahead amid Covid fears

Scotland’s Nations League match against the Czech Republic on Monday will go ahead as scheduled, UEFA has said.

Steve Clarke’s plans were thrown into disarray late on Friday night when the Czech FA declared the fixture set to be staged in Olomouc had been called off amid a coronavirus threat.

However, European football’s governing body insists the game will be played.

In a statement, a spokesman from UEFA said: “The match is going ahead as scheduled.”

The Czech’s plans for their Nations League opener with Slovakia on Friday night were affected after West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek and RB Leipzig striker Patrik Schick were told to self-isolate following contact with a backroom staff member who tested positive for the virus.

The Czech FA delayed the departure for Bratislava by 24 hours while the entire squad was retested and the players made the 200-mile journey by road after splitting up into small groups.

However, after their opening 3-1 win, the Czech FA announced the team would not be facing the Scots “due to representatives’ decision and the current situation with the Covid-19”.

Friday night’s declaration took the Scottish Football Association by surprise. However, it has since received confirmation that the tie will go ahead as planned and will be played in compliance with UEFA’s Covid-19 protocols.

Clarke’s squad are due to travel to Olomouc on Sunday.

Scottish FA chief executive Ian Maxwell, who has been liaising with UEFA’s deputy general secretary Giorgio Marchetti and director of national associations Zoran Lakovic, said: “We were as surprised as UEFA to learn of the statement posted on the official FACR channels last night.

“Following extensive conversations late last night and this morning we have received categorical assurance that the match goes ahead.

“Furthermore, Czech Republic have confirmed they will be able to fulfil their obligations to the match and, more importantly, to the stringent Covid-19 testing regime that is sacrosanct to ensure the safety of our players and staff.

“While we empathise with all national associations during this period of global uncertainty, none the less we required and received absolute assurance that we will be entering a safe and secure environment having worked diligently in Scotland to maintain safety and adherence to UEFA’s necessary Covid-19 protocols.”