Rangers look set to face Bayer Leverkusen behind closed doors – or in a neutral venue – after the leader of the regional government in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) agreed with calls from the German health minister to cancel events with over 1000 people attending as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Leverkusen are due to host Rangers next Thursday in the second leg of the last 16 Europa League clash but the region has been hit with the majority of German cases of the virus which has seen many sporting events already cancelled globally. “We must slow down the pace so that we are prepared for all situations. And major events naturally have the tendency for a lot of transmission,” NRW state premier Armin Laschet said, as quoted by TheLocal.de. Thousands of Rangers fans have already booked travel to Germany for the game but may now be left unable to see Steven Gerrard’s side in action in the crucial second leg.

Source: The Local March 09, 2020 16:52 UTC