Bayern Munich supporters have taken aim at UEFA for their late decisions to significantly alter the arrangements of Champions League and Europa League fixtures following the death of the Queen.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II passed away at Balmoral at the age of 96 last Thursday, leading to significant upheaval to European games involving British clubs. UEFA announced the group-stage Champions League clash between Rangers and Napoli would be moved from Tuesday to Wednesday, with no away fans permitted to travel to Ibrox.
To ensure sporting integrity, Rangers fans will not be allowed to attend the reverse match at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Explaining their decision to move the fixture, European football's governing body released a statement which read: "This is due to the severe limitations on police resources and organisational issues related to the ongoing events surrounding the national mourning for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II."
Meanwhile, the Europa League contest between Arsenal and PSV Eindhoven, which was scheduled for Thursday evening, was postponed at the start of the week. A statement on the PSV website read: "The Arsenal - PSV match is still postponed. UEFA reported this to PSV on Monday afternoon.
"Last weekend it seemed that the game would be played next Thursday, but the national authorities in Great Britain have decided that insufficient deployment of police personnel is possible due to the funeral services of the British Queen Elizabeth in London. It is not yet known when the Europa League match will be made up. More information about this will follow. We will keep supporters who have bought a ticket for the match personally informed of developments by e-mail."
UEFA's decisions have scuppered the arrangements Napoli and PSV fans had in place to attend fixtures this week. Arsenal are also facing a major headache over rescheduling their postponed match, which may leave them with no choice but to call off their Premier League fixture with Manchester City until the new year.
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Bayern Munich supporters, who are no strangers to voicing their displeasure with football's governors, have criticised what they view as late and unnecessary decisions which show a lack of "respect" for fans. They unfurled a banner during their fixture against Barcelona at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday night which read: "Last minute match delays and bans because of a royal's death? Respect fans!"
Regarding the match itself, Bayern fans were in a happier mood after Lucas Hernandez and Leroy Sane scored early in the second half to put them in control of the Group C encounter. Barca had the lion's share of the chances in the first half but fell behind to Hernandez's header from a corner before Sane got on the end of Jamal Musiala's through-ball to finish past Marc Andre ter-Stegen.
