Celtic's Milan tie could be switched to neutral venue

UEFA yesterday revealed Milan have investigated holding the home leg of their clash with Celtic in France or Switzerland, with the Italian cabinet last night ordering clubs to keep their football grounds closed to fans. Cabinet aide Enrico Letta said the government passed a decree that included a measure requiring teams to play in empty stadiums until safety measures are in place.

Crowd violence in Sicily last weekend has provoked a determination within the Italian government to stamp out hooliganism once and for all. The Italian authorities have banned spectators from stadiums not considered to have met required security standards, and Milan's San Siro stadium is among them. So, too, is the San Nicola stadium in Bari, where Scotland are due at the end of March for a vital Euro 2008 qualifying match. This fixture might also be transferred to another country, or staged behind closed doors.

Rangers played Internazionale at an empty San Siro stadium last season after extreme disturbances on the terraces in a prior European match had led to supporters being prohibited entry. It seems almost certain that Celtic will experience this same surreal sensation inside the 85,000 capacity ground should Milan's wish to play the match in another country not be granted by UEFA.

"The club has been in regular contact with both AC Milan and UEFA, and we are awaiting final confirmation with regards to our forthcoming match in Milan," said a Celtic spokesman last night. "Clearly there is no benefit in speculating further at this moment. We will inform our supporters as soon as we have definitive information from the relevant authorities."

The Italian FA has confirmed that Milan's home match against Livorno this weekend will be played behind closed doors, and officials face a race against time if the stadium is to complete a refurbishment programme ahead of Celtic's visit on 7 March.

"Milan have told us they would rather play abroad than behind closed doors as [playing behind closed doors] would put both clubs at a disadvantage, " said UEFA spokesman William Gaillard last night.

He also stressed that Milan's home ground was far better set up to accommodate supporters than Catania's Angelo Massimino stadium, where trouble flared last week during and after the derby against Palermo.

However, the venerable San Siro stadium does not currently comply with the Pisanu Law - the blueprint for Serie A stadium security. The main points of this law are numbered seating, electronic turnstiles activated by a ticket and one first-aid point for every 10,000 fans.

Milan appear resigned to a long battle to make the San Siro compliant, with many clubs having so far refused to implement the laws because their stadiums are owned by city councils. Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani believes the required work cannot be completed until the start of next season.

"If the authorities confirm their decision is final, we will have to play behind closed doors," he said. "[The improvements] certainly will not be finished before October. The San Siro is one of the biggest stadiums and the work will not be finished before the end of the season. AC Milan and Inter have done everything possible, but there is nothing we can do to speed up the process."

It is understood that only five stadiums currently meet the required standard - the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, the Artemio Franchi in Siena, the Stadio Olimpico in Turin, Renzo Barbera in Palermo, Sampdoria's Luigi Ferraris and Messina's San Filippo.

Bari are currently in Serie B so their stadium did not need to comply, however, it is likely to be the focus of renewed scrutiny ahead of the Euro 2008 qualifying match against Scotland on 28 March. Hundreds of Scotland fans have already made travel arrangements to attend the game in the southern port town.

Scotland manager Alex McLeish yesterday sought to weigh up the options during what he admitted were sad times for football.

"I'd much prefer the events of last week didn't happen," he said prior to last night's B international match with Finland at Rugby Park.

"We don't want to profit from anything like that happening in the game. I think a neutral venue would probably be great in terms of atmosphere, but we've got to consider the Scotland fans who have paid their money in advance to go to Bari.

"I hope they get some compensation and that maybe it's played at a neutral venue."

• IF CELTIC do have to play their Champions League match with AC Milan at a neutral venue, it will not be the first time that crowd trouble has caused one of their matches to be moved.

In 1984, the Parkhead club suffered the indignity of having to replay a European Cup Winners' Cup tie with Rapid Vienna, after a bottle was thrown on to the pitch during a 3-0 second-leg win at Parkhead that should have put Celtic into the next round.

UEFA ruled the game had to be replayed at a neutral venue, and Rapid went through with a 1-0 win at Old Trafford.

UEFA made Celtic play their next home game in Europe behind closed doors - a 2-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid.