UEFA rule bars Arsenal from visiting Slavia Prague in Champions League for third straight season

Arsenal will be prohibited from travelling to Fortuna Arena to face Slavia Prague in the Champions League league phase next season, regardless of Wednesday’s result in Prague, due to a UEFA fixture-repetition rule.

The regulation, introduced in last season’s Champions League rulebook under Paragraph 16.03, states that any individual fixture between the same two clubs cannot be repeated in the same competition with the same home team for three consecutive seasons. Arsenal faced Slavia Prague at Fortuna Arena in November 2025, winning 3-0 through a Bukayo Saka penalty and a Mikel Merino brace. With the same fixture scheduled again this Wednesday, a third successive visit to the Czech capital in the league phase would be blocked for 2026/27.

The rule does not prevent Arsenal from hosting Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium next season, nor does it apply if the two sides were to meet in the knockout rounds. The restriction is specific to the league phase and to the same home-and-away configuration being repeated in three straight editions of the competition.

Arsenal head into Wednesday’s match in strong form. Mikel Arteta’s side reclaimed top spot in the Premier League after ending their long wait for a win at Anfield, defeating Liverpool on Sunday. The Gunners will be looking to bounce back in Europe after being held to a 2-2 draw by Bayern Munich in their most recent Champions League outing.

The broader context adds weight to every European result for Arsenal. Having come agonisingly close to winning the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history last season, Arteta has spoken positively about his squad’s ability to go deep in the competition again. A win over Slavia Prague on Wednesday would further consolidate their position in the league phase standings, even as the fixture-repetition rule quietly closes the door on one particular European away day.