Sydney FC’s first home game of the AFC Champions League 2020 against Shanghai SIPG at Jubilee Stadium next week has been postponed and rescheduled for later this year.
Following yesterday’s Asian Football Confederation (AFC) meeting in Kuala Lumpur the game is one of four games from Match Day 1 involving Chinese clubs to be moved, and will now take place at the same venue on Wednesday 29th April or Thursday 30th April, 2020.
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The change comes in response to the impact of the coronavirus outbreak in China, which has now been declared as a global health emergency by the World Health Organisation.
The new date is scheduled at the conclusion of the Hyundai A-League 2019/20 regular season and was negotiated by FFA Head of Leagues, Greg O’Rourke, who attended the meeting on behalf of the three competing Australian clubs (Sydney FC, Perth Glory, Melbourne Victory).
Should Sydney FC finish the regular Hyundai A-League season in either of the top two positions, the Sky Blues will play the re-arranged game and then be exempt from the first weekend of the Hyundai A-League Finals three days later.
A home match against Ange Postecoglou’s Yokohama F. Marinos on Match Day 6 follows on Tuesday 5th May before the Sky Blues could potentially face a home Hyundai A-League semi final the following weekend.
Regarding Sydney FC’s Match Day five against Shanghai SIPG which is to be hosted in China on Tuesday 21st April, the representatives at the meeting agreed that a deadline to assess the latest situation will be set 21 days before the match, and if it is decided the game cannot go-ahead as proposed, the host club will have to nominate a neutral venue at least 14 days before the match day and also meet any quarantine requirements prevailing at the time.
Sydney FC’s AFC Champions League 2020 Squad:
1. Andrew REDMAYNE
2. Patrick FLOTTMANN
3. Benjamin WARLAND
4. Alexander WILKINSON
5. Alexander BAUMJOHANN
6. Ryan MCGOWAN
7. Michael ZULLO
8. Paulo RETRE
9. Adam LE FONDRE
11. Kosta BARBAROUSES
12. Trent BUHAGIAR
16. Joel KING
17. Anthony CACERES
18. Luke IVANOVIC
19. Christopher ZUVELA
20. Thomas HEWARD-BELLE
21. Harry VAN DER SAAG
23. Rhyan GRANT
24. Marco TILIO
26. Luke BRATTAN
27. Jordan SWIBEL
28. Calem NIEUWENHOF
29. Anton MLINARIC
30. Adam PAVLESIC
31. Thomas MAIN
32. Callum TALBOT
Sydney FC’s AFC Champions League campaign kicks off on Wednesday 19th February.
Revised Matches & Dates* (Kick off times TBC)
AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUP H
Yokohama F. Marinos vs Sydney FC – Wednesday 19th February – Yokohama International Stadium
Sydney FC vs Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC – Wednesday 4th March – Jubilee Stadium
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC vs Sydney FC – Tuesday 7th April – Jeonju World Cup Stadium
Shanghai SIPG vs Sydney FC – Tuesday 21st April – Yuanshen Stadium
Sydney FC vs Shanghai SIPG – Wednesday 29th April or Thursday 30th April – Jubilee Stadium
Sydney FC vs Yokohama F. Marinos – Tuesday 5th May – Jubilee Stadium
