UEFA have officially called off tonight’s Champions League game between Atalanta and Villarreal due to heavy snow, so it will be rescheduled for Thursday.
Champions League Liveblog: Juventus-Malmo, Atalanta-Villarreal
The kick-off time had been postponed from 20.00 GMT to 20.20 GMT, hoping the conditions would improve.
However, the snow continued to fall heavily in Bergamo over the Gewiss Stadium and referee Anthony Taylor, along with the two captains, agreed to reschedule the match for tomorrow.
The kick-off time is still to be confirmed, but the game will now be played on Thursday December 9.
It will be a crucial result, because Atalanta need a victory to reach the Champions League Round of 16 for the third year running.
If Atalanta lost and Young Boys beat Manchester United, then La Dea could even be knocked out of Europe altogether and not take that third place, which is worth a spot in the Europa League.
It was a huge night for the fans in Bergamo and it remains to be seen whether it will be rescheduled for the afternoon or evening.
There are also TV rights to be considered, with the Europa League and Europa Conference League played on Thursday.
Debido a la incesante nevada 🌨 que cae sobre Bérgamo, la @UEFAcom_es ha decidido finalmente APLAZAR el partido @Atalanta_BC 🆚 #Villarreal para mañana jueves en horario aún por determinar.#UCL pic.twitter.com/Hgm4e6rdsc
— Villarreal CF (@VillarrealCF) December 8, 2021
Villarreal’s players thank their away fans for their support after their Champions League match against Atalanta was called off due to heavy snow 👏#UCL pic.twitter.com/4iCgtGbiG9
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) December 8, 2021