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City can host Real Madrid after government makes exceptions for athletes

Anadolu Agency / Getty

Manchester City can stage their Champions League second-leg meeting with Real Madrid in England after the government's culture secretary declared "the British summer of sport is back on."

"I am grateful to the sports governing bodies who have worked closely with us to put in place stringent protocols to ensure these events can go ahead safely," Oliver Dowden said while announcing new lockdown measures Sunday, according to The Associated Press.

"It will mean that fans of the British Grand Prix, international cricket, and Champions League football can look forward to yet more sporting action on home soil - a further boost to our national recovery."

As part of the revised coronavirus protocols, selected sports stars competing in the country will be exempt from the mandatory two-week quarantine upon arrival. They will instead live in "bubbled" environments behind closed doors to minimize the risk of them contracting and spreading COVID-19, The Associated Press explains.

That should allow Real Madrid players to travel to the Etihad Stadium for the reverse fixture of their last-16 scuffle with Manchester City. The English club holds a 2-1 advantage from the first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu.

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