Bayern Munich have been prohibited from wearing their home kit in this season’s Champions League, and the reasons behind the decision have now come to light.
The Bavarian giants are on the verge of reclaiming the Bundesliga title after missing out last season and are also making steady progress in Europe.
Despite failing to secure automatic qualification, Bayern remain in the competition and are set to face Celtic in a round of 32 clash on Wednesday night.
Although there is no apparent clash between their home kits—Celtic’s green and white versus Bayern’s red and black—the German club will still have to wear their away strip.
This is due to UEFA’s ruling that Vincent Kompany’s side cannot play in their home kit because the dark-colored numbers on the jersey do not provide sufficient contrast for viewers.
However, UEFA has stated that Bayern will be allowed to use the kit if they make minor adjustments to improve visibility.
Bayern will face a tough challenge on the night, as Celtic have remained unbeaten at home in 16 consecutive games this season, including four in the Champions League.
Ahead of the clash, Brendan Rodgers is concerned that his appeal for Celtic fans to “follow the rules” might go unheeded—despite the club narrowly avoiding a UEFA ban on away fans for their upcoming Champions League play-off against Bayern later this month.
UEFA fined Celtic £8,340 after a fan set off fireworks and threw objects at Villa Park, but the Control, Ethics, and Disciplinary Body opted against enforcing a suspended ban on away supporters.
However, Celtic remain under scrutiny, as previous fines had led to a two-year suspended ban following large-scale pyrotechnic displays by fans in Dortmund last September.
The club successfully defended their case, arguing that the ban should not be enforced for the second leg of their play-off against Bayern on February 18—despite an incident where a fan threw a green smoke canister onto the pitch during their 4-2 defeat to Aston Villa on January 29.
Meanwhile, Harry Kane has addressed speculation about his Bayern Munich future after reports emerged that his contract includes a release clause, potentially opening the door for a Premier League return.
As part of his £120 million transfer from Tottenham to the Bundesliga club, the England captain secured a buy-out clause in his contract.
Reports from Germany suggest that this clause could have been triggered during the recent winter transfer window for £67 million, with the price expected to drop to £54 million next January.
