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West Ham fans may not feel so bitter about being banned from attending their Europa League match against Rapid Vienna - because the home fans now won't be in the stadium either.
UEFA had barred the Hammers faithful from the game following crowd trouble during another clash against Belgian side Genk this month, in addition to a fine of 34,500 euros (£29,260).
But with Austria now imposing a full nationwide lockdown due to a worsening Covid situation, West Ham's game in Vienna will now be played behind closed doors, so neither side will have an advantage for the game next week.
The situation in Austria has spiraled with the government forcing vaccinations to become mandatory to cope with a steep rise in cases. It reported 15,809 cases on Friday - a new one-day record.
Austria currently has one of the highest Covid infection rates in western Europe which has been blamed on its sluggish vaccination drive, with just 66 per cent of people fully jabbed. That is above the European average of 62 per cent, but well below the 70 per cent theoretically needed for herd immunity.
Sportsmail understands that the game will still go ahead, but after conversations with UEFA, the organisation has told West Ham that the fans' suspension would not be carried over to another game with fans in attendance.
