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Resumption of Champions League in August; postponement of 2020/21 UCL season likely: Reports

WION Web Team
New Delhi, Delhi, IndiaUpdated: Apr 20, 2020, 01:35 PM IST
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Logo of UEFA Champions League and Europa League. Photograph:(Reuters)

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UEFA is willing to resume the Champions League matches, which is suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic, on August 7-8. The current proposal could lead to the group stage matches of 2020/21 season of the Champions League to be postponed to October 20. 

UEFA is willing to resume the Champions League matches, which is suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic, on August 7-8. As per the recent proposal, the remaining matches of the Round of 16 will be played on August 7 and 8 followed by games every three days until August 29, when the final of UEFA Champions League is scheduled to be held.

The semi-final of UEFA Champions League is proposed to be held on August 18-19 and 21-22 before the summit clash in Istanbul. The current proposal could lead to the group stage matches of 2020/21 season of the Champions League to be postponed to October 20. 

However, with UEFA mulling to make clubs play Champions League matches in every three days, there could be a sense of worry from clubs in regards to their fixtures in their respective domestic leagues. 

The UEFA Champions League final was earlier scheduled to be played on May 30 in Istanbul. However, the outbreak of the dreaded coronavirus led to the postponement of the tournament with reverse fixtures of the Round of 16 matches left to be played. Only Paris St Germain, Atletico Madrid, Red Bull Leipzig and Atalanta have qualified to the quarterfinals of the tournament.

Earlier, there was a sense of confusion in relation to the date of the final with some reports quoting UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin as saying.

“Champions League must finish by August 3”. However, UEFA completely denied the reports. 

"It has been reported that UEFA President, Aleksander Ceferin told ZDF in Germany that the UEFA Champions League must finish by 3 August. This is not true," said a statement from European soccer's governing body.

"The President was very clear not to set exact dates for the end of the season."