Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has raised his concerns about his side having to travel to Spain for their <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/uefa-champions-league">UEFA Champions League</a> clash versus Barcelona amid a spike in COVID-19 cases in the country.

UEFA, earlier this month, confirmed that the remaining second-leg matches of Champions League round of 16 matches would be played in stadiums of the home team before the ‘Final-8’ of the elite competition is played in Lisbon, Portugal. The Europa League will be shifted to Germany.&nbsp;

Laurentiis said that while fear is coming from Spain, authorities in the football body is acting like nothing is wrong while adding he really doesn’t see why football should be played in a city that is in critical situation.

"I hear a lot of perplexity and fear coming from Spain and they're acting like nothing is wrong. What does it take to say, 'Don't go to Barcelona but rather go to Portugal, Germany or Geneva?" the Guardian quoted De Laurentiis as saying.

"If they've decided to play the Champions League in Portugal and the Europa League in Germany, I think we can go to Portugal or Germany for the last 16. I don't understand why it should stay in a city that has a really critical situation."

Napoli’s last-16 match with Barcelona is hanging in balance at 1-1 ahead of second leg at the iconic Camp Nou on August 8.&nbsp;

There has been a surge in COVID-19 positives in Spain with thousands of new cases reported on a daily basis, taking the country's total tally to over 303,000 cases.

Players from Sevilla, Real Madrid and Almeria tested positive for the virus this week. 
&nbsp;

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has raised his concerns about his side having to travel to Spain for their UEFA Champions League clash versus Barcelona amid a spike in COVID-19 cases in the country.

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has raised his concerns about his side having to travel to Spain for their UEFA Champions League clash versus Barcelona amid a spike in COVID-19 cases in the country. UEFA, earlier this month, confirmed that the remaining second-leg matches of Champions League round of 16 matches would be played in stadiums of the home team before the ‘Final-8’ of the elite competition is played in Lisbon, Portugal. The Europa League will be shifted to Germany. Laurentiis said that while fear is coming from Spain, authorities in the football body is acting like nothing is wrong while adding he really doesn’t see why football should be played in a city that is in critical situation. "I hear a lot of perplexity and fear coming from Spain and they're acting like nothing is wrong. What does it take to say, 'Don't go to Barcelona but rather go to Portugal, Germany or Geneva?" the Guardian quoted De Laurentiis as saying. "If they've decided to play the Champions League in Portugal and the Europa League in Germany, I think we can go to Portugal or Germany for the last 16. I don't understand why it should stay in a city that has a really critical situation." Napoli’s last-16 match with Barcelona is hanging in balance at 1-1 ahead of second leg at the iconic Camp Nou on August 8. There has been a surge in COVID-19 positives in Spain with thousands of new cases reported on a daily basis, taking the country's total tally to over 303,000 cases. Players from Sevilla, Real Madrid and Almeria tested positive for the virus this week.

Napoli president raises concerns about Champions League tie vs Barcelona in Camp Nou

UEFA says it is confident that Real Madrid’s <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/uefa-champions-league">Champions League</a> second-leg match against Manchester City, scheduled to be played at Etihad Stadium in Manchester next week, will go ahead as planned despite one player of the Spanish side testing positive for COVID-19.

Real Madrid on Tuesday confirmed that forward Mariano Diaz had tested positive for the virus, casting fresh doubts on the much-awaited tie, scheduled for August 8 in Manchester.

“UEFA is in contact with the club and monitoring both the situation and decisions of the relevant Spanish authorities,” UEFA said in a statement.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/no-evidence-man-city-broke-ffp-rules-but-they-failed-to-cooperate-cas-316736" hreflang="en">No evidence Man City broke FFP rules but they failed to cooperate - CAS</a>

“We are confident that this case will not affect the regular staging of the match in question.”

Real Madrid trail Man City 2-1 from the first leg of their round of 16 encounter before the tournament was suspended in March due to coronavirus outbreak.

Meanwhile, Spain has seen a spike in COVID-19 positives with thousands of new cases being reported on daily basis, taking its tally up to over 298,000 cases.

While Mariano’s participation in the tie is highly unlikely as he would be self-isolating himself, Man City’s Sergio Aguero is also a major doubt for the clash after undergoing a surgery.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/lionel-messi-not-retiring-anytime-soon-will-play-2022-world-cup-xavi-316726" hreflang="en">Lionel Messi not retiring anytime soon, will play 2022 World Cup: Xavi</a>

After the completion of the remaining round of 16 matches, the ‘Final-8’ of the tournament will be played in Lisbon, Portugal in a bid to keep the logistical issues to minimum.&nbsp;

Liverpool are the defending champions but were knocked out by Atletico Madrid as Europe’s elite competition will witness a new champion this time. 
&nbsp;

UEFA says it is confident that Real Madrid’s Champions League second-leg match against Manchester City, scheduled to be played at Etihad Stadium in Manchester next week, will go ahead as planned despite one player of the Spanish side testing positive for COVID-19.

UEFA says it is confident that Real Madrid’s Champions League second-leg match against Manchester City, scheduled to be played at Etihad Stadium in Manchester next week, will go ahead as planned despite one player of the Spanish side testing positive for COVID-19. Real Madrid on Tuesday confirmed that forward Mariano Diaz had tested positive for the virus, casting fresh doubts on the much-awaited tie, scheduled for August 8 in Manchester. “UEFA is in contact with the club and monitoring both the situation and decisions of the relevant Spanish authorities,” UEFA said in a statement. ALSO READ: No evidence Man City broke FFP rules but they failed to cooperate - CAS “We are confident that this case will not affect the regular staging of the match in question.” Real Madrid trail Man City 2-1 from the first leg of their round of 16 encounter before the tournament was suspended in March due to coronavirus outbreak. Meanwhile, Spain has seen a spike in COVID-19 positives with thousands of new cases being reported on daily basis, taking its tally up to over 298,000 cases. While Mariano’s participation in the tie is highly unlikely as he would be self-isolating himself, Man City’s Sergio Aguero is also a major doubt for the clash after undergoing a surgery. ALSO READ: Lionel Messi not retiring anytime soon, will play 2022 World Cup: Xavi After the completion of the remaining round of 16 matches, the ‘Final-8’ of the tournament will be played in Lisbon, Portugal in a bid to keep the logistical issues to minimum. Liverpool are the defending champions but were knocked out by Atletico Madrid as Europe’s elite competition will witness a new champion this time.

UEFA confident positive coronavirus test won't affect Man City-Real Madrid tie

Barcelona welcomed back three injured French players, Ousmane Dembele, Antoine Griezmann and Clement Lenglet, as they resumed training ahead of their <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/uefa-champions-league">Champions League</a> match against Napoli.&nbsp;

The club did not give any indication that the trio would be fit for the second-leg match against Napoli on August 8.&nbsp;

"The good news of the day was to see Lenglet and Griezmann doing individual work on the pitch," said Barcelona on their website as the squad returned after a few days of rest following the end of La Liga.&nbsp;

Lenglet suffered a groin injury on July 19 and Griezmann damaged a muscle in his right leg on July 11.&nbsp;

Dembele initially tore a hamstring in November and&nbsp;suffered a relapse on February 3 after returning to training. He also trained apart from the main squad on Tuesday.

"Ousmane Dembele has also been working on the sidelines and following his recovery guidelines," said Barcelona.

Barcelona welcomed back three injured French players, Ousmane Dembele, Antoine Griezmann and Clement Lenglet, as they resumed training ahead of their Champions League match against Napoli.

Barcelona welcomed back three injured French players, Ousmane Dembele, Antoine Griezmann and Clement Lenglet, as they resumed training ahead of their Champions League match against Napoli. The club did not give any indication that the trio would be fit for the second-leg match against Napoli on August 8. "The good news of the day was to see Lenglet and Griezmann doing individual work on the pitch," said Barcelona on their website as the squad returned after a few days of rest following the end of La Liga. Lenglet suffered a groin injury on July 19 and Griezmann damaged a muscle in his right leg on July 11. Dembele initially tore a hamstring in November and suffered a relapse on February 3 after returning to training. He also trained apart from the main squad on Tuesday. "Ousmane Dembele has also been working on the sidelines and following his recovery guidelines," said Barcelona.

Dembele, Lenglet and Griezmann return as Barca resume training

Kevin De Bruyne is hoping to crown David Silva's glorious 10 years at Manchester City by completing the Spaniard's set of medals with a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/uefa-champions-league">Champions League</a> win next month.

Silva has won four <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/premier-league">Premier League</a> titles among 11 major trophies since joining City in 2010, as well as the World Cup and two European Championships at international level with Spain.

The 34-year-old midfielder has never tasted Champions League glory but he has one last chance with Pep Guardiola's men, with his contract ending at the end of the season.

City resume their Champions League campaign at home to Real Madrid on August 7, holding a 2-1 lead from the first leg of their last-16 tie, with the winners progressing to the quarter-finals, which will be held on a neutral site in Lisbon.

De Bruyne scored twice in Silva's final Premier League game as City thrashed Norwich 5-0 on Sunday and labelled his midfield partner one of the best players to ever grace the English game.

"For me he is one of the best players who has ever played in the Premier League," said the Belgian midfielder.

"You can always debate who is (number) one but when you play with him you can appreciate what he does day-in, day-out. I have played with him for five years -- a long time.

"We have won a lot together, we play well together. We complement each other really well in different ways.

"And he's such a nice guy as well. He is going to be a big miss. It would be great if we could win the Champions League so it could end well for him."

City have scored four or more goals in six of their 12 games since English football's restart last month and De Bruyne is hoping to carry that form onto the biggest stage, with the prospect of having to beat Madrid, Juventus, Bayern Munich or Barcelona and then Paris Saint-German to finally win the Champions League.

"It is good to stay in the rhythm. There is no point slacking. We have to keep going full pace," said De Bruyne.

"Now we have got two weeks to prepare ourselves fully and we have got another final.

"We want to prepare ourselves the best possible to be ready for that game and hopefully we can play another four games this year."

Kevin De Bruyne is hoping to crown David Silva's glorious 10 years at Manchester City by completing the Spaniard's set of medals with a Champions League win next month.

Kevin De Bruyne is hoping to crown David Silva's glorious 10 years at Manchester City by completing the Spaniard's set of medals with a Champions League win next month. Silva has won four Premier League titles among 11 major trophies since joining City in 2010, as well as the World Cup and two European Championships at international level with Spain. The 34-year-old midfielder has never tasted Champions League glory but he has one last chance with Pep Guardiola's men, with his contract ending at the end of the season. City resume their Champions League campaign at home to Real Madrid on August 7, holding a 2-1 lead from the first leg of their last-16 tie, with the winners progressing to the quarter-finals, which will be held on a neutral site in Lisbon. De Bruyne scored twice in Silva's final Premier League game as City thrashed Norwich 5-0 on Sunday and labelled his midfield partner one of the best players to ever grace the English game. "For me he is one of the best players who has ever played in the Premier League," said the Belgian midfielder. "You can always debate who is (number) one but when you play with him you can appreciate what he does day-in, day-out. I have played with him for five years -- a long time. "We have won a lot together, we play well together. We complement each other really well in different ways. "And he's such a nice guy as well. He is going to be a big miss. It would be great if we could win the Champions League so it could end well for him." City have scored four or more goals in six of their 12 games since English football's restart last month and De Bruyne is hoping to carry that form onto the biggest stage, with the prospect of having to beat Madrid, Juventus, Bayern Munich or Barcelona and then Paris Saint-German to finally win the Champions League. "It is good to stay in the rhythm. There is no point slacking. We have to keep going full pace," said De Bruyne. "Now we have got two weeks to prepare ourselves fully and we have got another final. "We want to prepare ourselves the best possible to be ready for that game and hopefully we can play another four games this year."

De Bruyne wants Champions League win for Silva's Man City send-off

The race to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/uefa-champions-league">UEFA Champions League</a> spots in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/premier-league">Premier League</a> is heading to a nail-biting finale after Chelsea’s defeat to Liverpool and Manchester United’s draw against West Ham. While Liverpool and Manchester City have already sealed the top two spots in the English top-flight league, three teams are battling it out for the remaining two spots in the top four.&nbsp;

<h2>As things stand...</h2>

As things stand, Manchester United and Chelsea have 64 points each whereas Leicester City have 63 under their belt.&nbsp; 
Chelsea head into the final game week with a hope to bag a win against Wolves, who are four points below the Blues. Manchester United will take on Leicester City, a match that will determine who among the two get that UCL spot.

IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/liverpool-lift-premier-league-trophy-fans-pour-out-on-streets-to-celebrate-despite-virus-warnings-315315" hreflang="en">Liverpool lift Premier League trophy; fans pour out on streets to celebrate despite virus warnings</a>

<h2>Scenario for Manchester United</h2>

For Manchester United, it is a clean task ahead. Avoid a defeat and get into UEFA Champions League. Whereas for Leicester City, who will be hosting the Red Devils at the Kings Power Stadium, a win is necessary to finish their campaign inside top 4.

<h2>Scenario for Chelsea and Leicester City</h2>

The equation is pretty similar for Chelsea. Avoid a defeat and secure UCL spot. A win can help them finish third unless Manchester United defeat Leicester City. However, if they lose out to Wolves then the Blues will hope Manchester United beat Leicester. If the United-Leicester match ends in a draw and Chelsea are defeated by Wolves then the Frank Lampard side will drop to the fifth place.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-hendersons-shuffle-to-dressing-room-celebrations-as-liverpool-lift-premier-league-trophy-315361" hreflang="en">Watch: Henderson's shuffle to dressing room celebrations as Liverpool lift Premier League trophy</a>

Whereas Leicester will go into the United game with only one aim – to win. A Chelsea defeat will help them grab a UCL spot given they manage to avoid defeat against the Red Devils. If Leicester win and Chelsea also avoid defeat, then Manchester United would be the one crashing out of the UCL race.

The game week 38 in Premier League promises to be a roller-coaster ride with UCL spots and relegation battle coming to an enthralling close. 
&nbsp;

The race to UEFA Champions League spots in the Premier League is heading to a nail-biting finale after Chelsea’s defeat to Liverpool and Manchester United’s draw against West Ham.

The race to UEFA Champions League spots in the Premier League is heading to a nail-biting finale after Chelsea’s defeat to Liverpool and Manchester United’s draw against West Ham. While Liverpool and Manchester City have already sealed the top two spots in the English top-flight league, three teams are battling it out for the remaining two spots in the top four. As things stand... As things stand, Manchester United and Chelsea have 64 points each whereas Leicester City have 63 under their belt. Chelsea head into the final game week with a hope to bag a win against Wolves, who are four points below the Blues. Manchester United will take on Leicester City, a match that will determine who among the two get that UCL spot. IN PICS | Liverpool lift Premier League trophy; fans pour out on streets to celebrate despite virus warnings Scenario for Manchester United For Manchester United, it is a clean task ahead. Avoid a defeat and get into UEFA Champions League. Whereas for Leicester City, who will be hosting the Red Devils at the Kings Power Stadium, a win is necessary to finish their campaign inside top 4. Scenario for Chelsea and Leicester City The equation is pretty similar for Chelsea. Avoid a defeat and secure UCL spot. A win can help them finish third unless Manchester United defeat Leicester City. However, if they lose out to Wolves then the Blues will hope Manchester United beat Leicester. If the United-Leicester match ends in a draw and Chelsea are defeated by Wolves then the Frank Lampard side will drop to the fifth place. Watch: Henderson's shuffle to dressing room celebrations as Liverpool lift Premier League trophy Whereas Leicester will go into the United game with only one aim – to win. A Chelsea defeat will help them grab a UCL spot given they manage to avoid defeat against the Red Devils. If Leicester win and Chelsea also avoid defeat, then Manchester United would be the one crashing out of the UCL race. The game week 38 in Premier League promises to be a roller-coaster ride with UCL spots and relegation battle coming to an enthralling close.

Top 4 race in Premier League: Man Utd, Chelsea, Leicester to battle it out for UCL spots

With <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/manchester-city-win-appeal-at-cas-as-champions-league-ban-is-lifted-312955">Manchester City’s two-year ban on European competitions being lifted by the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS)</a>, reactions have started to flood in. While <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/not-a-good-day-for-football-jurgen-klopp-reacts-to-cas-verdict-on-man-city-vs-uefa-case-313242">Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said that it was not a good day for football</a>, Pep Guardiola’s long-term rival and current Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho has also given his take on the matter.&nbsp;

Mourinho said that the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/manchester-city-win-appeal-at-cas-as-champions-league-ban-is-lifted-312955">decision by CAS</a> is ‘disgraceful’ while stating if Man City are not guilty then they shouldn’t be punished with a 10 million euros fine. It seems like Mourinho didn’t read the entire statement by CAS as it clearly mentioned that “Manchester City didn’t disguise equity funding as sponsorship contributions” but did fail to cooperate with the UEFA authorities in relation to the investigation and hence, the Blues were fined 10 million euros.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/not-a-good-day-for-football-jurgen-klopp-reacts-to-cas-verdict-on-man-city-vs-uefa-case-313242" hreflang="en">Not a good day for football: Jurgen Klopp reacts to CAS verdict on Man City vs UEFA case</a>

“In the case it's a disgraceful decision because if City are not guilty of it then you are not punished with 10m. If you're not guilty you shouldn't have a fine. If they are guilty the decision is also a disgrace and you should be banned from the competition. I don't know if Manchester City are guilty or not but either way it's a disgraceful decision,” Mourinho said in the pre-match press conference on Tuesday ahead of Spurs’ <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/premier-league">Premier League</a> match against Newcastle United.

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😂 Try to watch this with a straight face, you can’t... 
 
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Another tragic news that came in Tottenham Hotspur’s way was the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tottenham-hotspur-defender-serge-auriers-brother-shot-dead-in-toulouse-312978">killing of Serge Aurier’s younger brother Christopher Aurier</a> as the latter was shot to death in Toulouse on Monday. Mourinho while reacting to the news said that it is a tragic moment for the Aurier family while adding the club is going to respect whatever decision Serge takes in terms of being available for the match against Newcastle.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/premier-league-united-stay-fifth-after-saints-grab-last-gasp-leveller-313176" hreflang="en">Premier League: United stay fifth after Saints grab last-gasp leveller</a>

“At the moment just myself and others in the club spoke to him just to support him in a tragic moment for him and his family. His way of reacting, every person is a different feeling. So we are going to respect 100 per cent&nbsp;Serge's decisions and no pressure from us. This afternoon after training we'll have a better idea of how he is feeling. Everybody reacts in a different way. Similar feelings and pain but people react in a different way,” Mourinho said.

With Manchester City’s two-year ban on European competitions being lifted by the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), reactions have started to flood in. While Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said that it was not a good day for football, Pep Guardiola’s long-term rival and current Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho has also given his take on the matter.

With Manchester City’s two-year ban on European competitions being lifted by the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), reactions have started to flood in. While Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said that it was not a good day for football, Pep Guardiola’s long-term rival and current Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho has also given his take on the matter. Mourinho said that the decision by CAS is ‘disgraceful’ while stating if Man City are not guilty then they shouldn’t be punished with a 10 million euros fine. It seems like Mourinho didn’t read the entire statement by CAS as it clearly mentioned that “Manchester City didn’t disguise equity funding as sponsorship contributions” but did fail to cooperate with the UEFA authorities in relation to the investigation and hence, the Blues were fined 10 million euros. ALSO READ: Not a good day for football: Jurgen Klopp reacts to CAS verdict on Man City vs UEFA case “In the case it's a disgraceful decision because if City are not guilty of it then you are not punished with 10m. If you're not guilty you shouldn't have a fine. If they are guilty the decision is also a disgrace and you should be banned from the competition. I don't know if Manchester City are guilty or not but either way it's a disgraceful decision,” Mourinho said in the pre-match press conference on Tuesday ahead of Spurs’ Premier League match against Newcastle United. 😂 Try to watch this with a straight face, you can’t... [via @footballdaily]pic.twitter.com/ksAp2F0KsP — Man City Xtra (@City_Xtra) July 14, 2020 × Another tragic news that came in Tottenham Hotspur’s way was the killing of Serge Aurier’s younger brother Christopher Aurier as the latter was shot to death in Toulouse on Monday. Mourinho while reacting to the news said that it is a tragic moment for the Aurier family while adding the club is going to respect whatever decision Serge takes in terms of being available for the match against Newcastle. ALSO READ: Premier League: United stay fifth after Saints grab last-gasp leveller “At the moment just myself and others in the club spoke to him just to support him in a tragic moment for him and his family. His way of reacting, every person is a different feeling. So we are going to respect 100 per cent Serge's decisions and no pressure from us. This afternoon after training we'll have a better idea of how he is feeling. Everybody reacts in a different way. Similar feelings and pain but people react in a different way,” Mourinho said.

'It's a disgraceful decision' - Jose Mourinho gives his take on CAS verdict on Man City's European ban

Manchester City have become the dominant force in English football over the past decade but are still waiting for the final piece in the Abu Dhabi project jigsaw -- the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/uefa-champions-league">Champions League</a> title.

Backed by Sheikh Mansour's immense wealth, inspired by Pep Guardiola's managerial genius and boasting a cast of superstars, the club have greedily scooped up 11 major trophies in nine years.

Yet the prize that has eluded them is the Champions League, which the owners crave above all else.

<a href="Manchester City win appeal at CAS as Champions League ban is lifted">Monday's ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)</a>, lifting a two-season UEFA ban from European competition, will give Guardiola's men a huge lift for this season and next as they chase elusive European glory.

They can now prepare for the second leg of their last-16 tie at home against Real Madrid, leading 2-1, safe in the knowledge that they will be back at Europe's top table next season.

City's great fear was if CAS upheld UEFA's ban, imposed in February, players would look to elsewhere and Guardiola himself could even lose interest.

Now they can not only retain their best players, but look to recruit more talent in a bid to take back the Premier League title from Liverpool.

"From a footballing perspective, it is good to know that Pep Guardiola may now extend his contract as City manager beyond next season, continuing to raise coaching standards in this country," said the Times.

"It is a joy to know that Kevin De Bruyne, the finest midfield player in the world on present form, may stay on, enchanting audiences with his extraordinary passing style."

City have already lifted the League Cup this season and are well-placed in the FA Cup.

But they know that to be considered a member of the established European elite, they must win the Champions League.

<h2>- Corporate giant -</h2>

The club's transformation from Premier League also-rans into a European force over the past 12 years has been remarkable.

For so many years they were the perennially underachieving neighbours of mighty Manchester United.

But under Mansour and chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, the struggling club have become a global footballing behemoth.

When Mansour and his Abu Dhabi United Group purchased City from Thailand's Thaksin Shinawatra for £210 million ($265 million) on September 1, 2008, they arrived to find a club languishing in United's shadow after finishing 32 points behind the champions the previous season.

City's inferiority complex was well-founded after decades of failure. When United won an unprecedented treble of Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup in 1998/99, City were languishing in the third tier.

It is a different story at the Etihad now after four Premier League titles in the past nine seasons as well as a wealth of cup success.

The squad is brimful of international talent, led by global stars such as Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and Sergio Aguero, with Guardiola demanding the highest standards.

"People forget that 10 years ago it was unthinkable that City would get to this place," one former senior City executive told Britain's Daily Mail newspaper in 2018 -- a decade after the takeover.

"Building the club that Guardiola took over meant building a world-class team. Players had either never heard of us or weren't interested in us."

Mansour's first signing for City was Robinho, a Brazilian forward then regarded as one of the world's most promising youngsters.

That set the tone for the decade to come as Mansour kept spending until the silverware finally rolled in, starting with the club's first FA Cup for 42 years in 2011.&nbsp;

Then in a landmark moment, Roberto Mancini's side stole the Premier League title from United's grasp in 2012 thanks to&nbsp;Aguero's last-gasp winner against QPR.

Ferguson retired in 2013, sparking a decline at Old Trafford and paving the way for the club he derided as the "noisy neighbours" to fill the power vacuum in spectacular style.

The changes have not just been on the field, with huge investment also made in the state-of-the-art City Football Academy, while Mansour's City Football Group now have nine clubs in their global empire.

City are among the favourites to lift the Champions League this season -- a success that would now taste all the sweeter.

Manchester City have become the dominant force in English football over the past decade but are still waiting for the final piece in the Abu Dhabi project jigsaw -- the Champions League title.

Manchester City have become the dominant force in English football over the past decade but are still waiting for the final piece in the Abu Dhabi project jigsaw -- the Champions League title. Backed by Sheikh Mansour's immense wealth, inspired by Pep Guardiola's managerial genius and boasting a cast of superstars, the club have greedily scooped up 11 major trophies in nine years. Yet the prize that has eluded them is the Champions League, which the owners crave above all else. Monday's ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), lifting a two-season UEFA ban from European competition, will give Guardiola's men a huge lift for this season and next as they chase elusive European glory. They can now prepare for the second leg of their last-16 tie at home against Real Madrid, leading 2-1, safe in the knowledge that they will be back at Europe's top table next season. City's great fear was if CAS upheld UEFA's ban, imposed in February, players would look to elsewhere and Guardiola himself could even lose interest. Now they can not only retain their best players, but look to recruit more talent in a bid to take back the Premier League title from Liverpool. "From a footballing perspective, it is good to know that Pep Guardiola may now extend his contract as City manager beyond next season, continuing to raise coaching standards in this country," said the Times. "It is a joy to know that Kevin De Bruyne, the finest midfield player in the world on present form, may stay on, enchanting audiences with his extraordinary passing style." City have already lifted the League Cup this season and are well-placed in the FA Cup. But they know that to be considered a member of the established European elite, they must win the Champions League. - Corporate giant - The club's transformation from Premier League also-rans into a European force over the past 12 years has been remarkable. For so many years they were the perennially underachieving neighbours of mighty Manchester United. But under Mansour and chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, the struggling club have become a global footballing behemoth. When Mansour and his Abu Dhabi United Group purchased City from Thailand's Thaksin Shinawatra for £210 million ($265 million) on September 1, 2008, they arrived to find a club languishing in United's shadow after finishing 32 points behind the champions the previous season. City's inferiority complex was well-founded after decades of failure. When United won an unprecedented treble of Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup in 1998/99, City were languishing in the third tier. It is a different story at the Etihad now after four Premier League titles in the past nine seasons as well as a wealth of cup success. The squad is brimful of international talent, led by global stars such as Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and Sergio Aguero, with Guardiola demanding the highest standards. "People forget that 10 years ago it was unthinkable that City would get to this place," one former senior City executive told Britain's Daily Mail newspaper in 2018 -- a decade after the takeover. "Building the club that Guardiola took over meant building a world-class team. Players had either never heard of us or weren't interested in us." Mansour's first signing for City was Robinho, a Brazilian forward then regarded as one of the world's most promising youngsters. That set the tone for the decade to come as Mansour kept spending until the silverware finally rolled in, starting with the club's first FA Cup for 42 years in 2011. Then in a landmark moment, Roberto Mancini's side stole the Premier League title from United's grasp in 2012 thanks to Aguero's last-gasp winner against QPR. Ferguson retired in 2013, sparking a decline at Old Trafford and paving the way for the club he derided as the "noisy neighbours" to fill the power vacuum in spectacular style. The changes have not just been on the field, with huge investment also made in the state-of-the-art City Football Academy, while Mansour's City Football Group now have nine clubs in their global empire. City are among the favourites to lift the Champions League this season -- a success that would now taste all the sweeter.

CAS ruling protects Champions League dream for Man City's Abu Dhabi owners

The draw for the final eight of the 2019-20 UEFA Champions League season was made at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland on Friday. In what was a new-looked draw amid COVID-19 pandemic, club representatives joined the draw via video-conference with only a presenter and the draw-maker present at the venue.&nbsp;

In quarter-finals, the winner between Real Madrid vs Manchester City will take on the winner from Juventus vs Lyon. Whereas Red Bull Leipzig will face Atletico Madrid, who defeated holders Liverpool to advance to the QFs.&nbsp;

The winner between Barcelona vs Napoli will lock horns with Bayern Munich or Chelsea with Atalanta taking on Paris Saint-Germain in QF 4.&nbsp;

The quarter-finals of UEFA Champions League will be held on between August 12-15 in Lisbon, Portugal.

<h2>UCL - Quarter-finals</h2>

Real Madrid (ESP) or Manchester City (ENG) v Juventus (ITA) or Lyon (FRA)

RB Leipzig (GER) v Atletico Madrid (ESP)

Barcelona (ESP) or Napoli (ITA) v Bayern Munich (GER) or Chelsea (ENG)

Atalanta (ITA) v Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)

The semi-finals will see the winner of Real Madrid/Man City/Juventus/Lyon take on the winner of Barcelona/Napoli/Bayern Munich/Chelsea.

The semis of UCL will be played on August 18 and 19 in Lisbon with the final scheduled for August 23.

<h2>UCL - Semi-finals</h2>

Real Madrid/Man City/Juventus/Lyon v Barcelona/Napoli/Bayern Munich/Chelsea

RB Leipzig or Atletico Madrid v Atalanta or Paris Saint-Germain

Ties to be played on August 18 and 19 in Lisbon.

Notably, all the matches from quarter-finals onwards will be one-legged ties as UEFA scraps the traditional two-legged ties keeping COVID-19 pandemic in mind. 
&nbsp;

The draw for the final eight of the 2019-20 UEFA Champions League season was made at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland on Friday. In what was a new-looked draw amid COVID-19 pandemic, club representatives joined the draw via video-conference with only a presenter and the draw-maker present at the venue.

The draw for the final eight of the 2019-20 UEFA Champions League season was made at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland on Friday. In what was a new-looked draw amid COVID-19 pandemic, club representatives joined the draw via video-conference with only a presenter and the draw-maker present at the venue. In quarter-finals, the winner between Real Madrid vs Manchester City will take on the winner from Juventus vs Lyon. Whereas Red Bull Leipzig will face Atletico Madrid, who defeated holders Liverpool to advance to the QFs. The winner between Barcelona vs Napoli will lock horns with Bayern Munich or Chelsea with Atalanta taking on Paris Saint-Germain in QF 4. The quarter-finals of UEFA Champions League will be held on between August 12-15 in Lisbon, Portugal. UCL - Quarter-finals Real Madrid (ESP) or Manchester City (ENG) v Juventus (ITA) or Lyon (FRA) RB Leipzig (GER) v Atletico Madrid (ESP) Barcelona (ESP) or Napoli (ITA) v Bayern Munich (GER) or Chelsea (ENG) Atalanta (ITA) v Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) The semi-finals will see the winner of Real Madrid/Man City/Juventus/Lyon take on the winner of Barcelona/Napoli/Bayern Munich/Chelsea. The semis of UCL will be played on August 18 and 19 in Lisbon with the final scheduled for August 23. UCL - Semi-finals Real Madrid/Man City/Juventus/Lyon v Barcelona/Napoli/Bayern Munich/Chelsea RB Leipzig or Atletico Madrid v Atalanta or Paris Saint-Germain Ties to be played on August 18 and 19 in Lisbon. Notably, all the matches from quarter-finals onwards will be one-legged ties as UEFA scraps the traditional two-legged ties keeping COVID-19 pandemic in mind.

UEFA Champions League final eight draw throws up possible Bayern Munich-Barcelona clash

Four months on from the last match in this season's Champions League, the draw for the final eight will be held on Friday amid ongoing uncertainty about how safe it will be to play out the competition in Lisbon as planned, and with four last-16 ties still to be completed.

It was on March 11 that Paris Saint-Germain beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 behind closed doors to qualify for the quarter-finals for the first time in four years and their players celebrated wildly with jubilant supporters who had gathered outside the Parc des Princes.

The same night, holders Liverpool were knocked out by Atletico Madrid in front of 52,000 fans at Anfield, a mass gathering which British scientists later said had aided the acceleration of the coronavirus pandemic.

Within days football across Europe was suspended and it was only in mid-June that UEFA was able to unveil a way of finishing its flagship tournament, the main economic driver for European football's governing body -- before the pandemic, it estimated gross commercial revenue from its competitions this season would be 3.25 billion euros ($3.69bn).

And so the plan is to go to the Portuguese capital for a unique "final eight" straight knockout tournament from the quarter-finals onwards, starting on August 12 and finishing with the final at Benfica's Estadio da Luz on August 23.

It will share the quarter-final and semi-final matches with the Estadio Jose Alvalade, Sporting's home just along Lisbon's Segunda Circular ring road.

&nbsp;

<h2>- Games behind closed doors? -</h2>

&nbsp;

Benfica's home staged the Champions League final in 2014 when Real Madrid beat Atletico. Then it was filled to its 65,000 capacity, but this time it is expected all matches will be played behind closed doors due to fears an influx of supporters from around Europe could spark a new wave of COVID-19.

Indeed, the biggest concern right now is Lisbon itself.

Last week lockdown restrictions were reimposed on 19 neighbourhoods across the northern periphery of Lisbon, worryingly close to both venues. The restrictions concern some 700,000 people and will remain in place for at least a fortnight.

Portugal, a country of 10 million, is currently registering over 300 cases of coronavirus a day. Three-quarters of the 443 new cases registered on Wednesday came in the Lisbon area.

&nbsp;

<h2>- No Plan B -</h2>

&nbsp;

That raises questions about whether the final eight will happen as planned, although UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has remained outwardly bullish.

"I am confident that with the continued and constant collaboration between all stakeholders, we will conclude the season in a positive way in Lisbon. There is no need for a Plan B," Ceferin said last week.

UEFA plans to complete the Europa League with an identical format, a final eight in Germany, with the final due to go ahead in Cologne on August 21.

The draws for the quarter-finals and semi-finals of both competitions will be held on Friday, from 1000 GMT. However, before getting that far in either competition, there are a host of last-16 ties to be completed.

In the Europa League last 16, only six of the eight first-leg matches were played in March.

In the Champions League, Atalanta and RB Leipzig are through to the last eight along with PSG and Atletico. The remaining last 16, second legs will see Juventus face Lyon, Manchester City take on Madrid, Bayern Munich face Chelsea and Barcelona meet Napoli.

UEFA has kept open the idea of also moving those games to Portugal if necessary, to the northern cities of Porto and Guimaraes.

While some of the continent's behemoths still hope to book their spots in Portugal, Atletico and PSG might see the unique format as an ideal opportunity for European glory.

"We are capable of winning this competition, just like the other seven teams will be. I am convinced that we will be a strong proposition," said the PSG coach Thomas Tuchel.

Underdogs Atalanta, from the northern Italian city of Bergamo devastated by the pandemic, are dreaming of going all the way.

The same can be said of RB Leipzig, although they will have to do without star striker Timo Werner after he was sold to Chelsea.

Four months on from the last match in this season's Champions League, the draw for the final eight will be held on Friday amid ongoing uncertainty about how safe it will be to play out the competition in Lisbon as planned, and with four last-16 ties still to be completed.

Four months on from the last match in this season's Champions League, the draw for the final eight will be held on Friday amid ongoing uncertainty about how safe it will be to play out the competition in Lisbon as planned, and with four last-16 ties still to be completed. It was on March 11 that Paris Saint-Germain beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 behind closed doors to qualify for the quarter-finals for the first time in four years and their players celebrated wildly with jubilant supporters who had gathered outside the Parc des Princes. The same night, holders Liverpool were knocked out by Atletico Madrid in front of 52,000 fans at Anfield, a mass gathering which British scientists later said had aided the acceleration of the coronavirus pandemic. Within days football across Europe was suspended and it was only in mid-June that UEFA was able to unveil a way of finishing its flagship tournament, the main economic driver for European football's governing body -- before the pandemic, it estimated gross commercial revenue from its competitions this season would be 3.25 billion euros ($3.69bn). And so the plan is to go to the Portuguese capital for a unique "final eight" straight knockout tournament from the quarter-finals onwards, starting on August 12 and finishing with the final at Benfica's Estadio da Luz on August 23. It will share the quarter-final and semi-final matches with the Estadio Jose Alvalade, Sporting's home just along Lisbon's Segunda Circular ring road. - Games behind closed doors? - Benfica's home staged the Champions League final in 2014 when Real Madrid beat Atletico. Then it was filled to its 65,000 capacity, but this time it is expected all matches will be played behind closed doors due to fears an influx of supporters from around Europe could spark a new wave of COVID-19. Indeed, the biggest concern right now is Lisbon itself. Last week lockdown restrictions were reimposed on 19 neighbourhoods across the northern periphery of Lisbon, worryingly close to both venues. The restrictions concern some 700,000 people and will remain in place for at least a fortnight. Portugal, a country of 10 million, is currently registering over 300 cases of coronavirus a day. Three-quarters of the 443 new cases registered on Wednesday came in the Lisbon area. - No Plan B - That raises questions about whether the final eight will happen as planned, although UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has remained outwardly bullish. "I am confident that with the continued and constant collaboration between all stakeholders, we will conclude the season in a positive way in Lisbon. There is no need for a Plan B," Ceferin said last week. UEFA plans to complete the Europa League with an identical format, a final eight in Germany, with the final due to go ahead in Cologne on August 21. The draws for the quarter-finals and semi-finals of both competitions will be held on Friday, from 1000 GMT. However, before getting that far in either competition, there are a host of last-16 ties to be completed. In the Europa League last 16, only six of the eight first-leg matches were played in March. In the Champions League, Atalanta and RB Leipzig are through to the last eight along with PSG and Atletico. The remaining last 16, second legs will see Juventus face Lyon, Manchester City take on Madrid, Bayern Munich face Chelsea and Barcelona meet Napoli. UEFA has kept open the idea of also moving those games to Portugal if necessary, to the northern cities of Porto and Guimaraes. While some of the continent's behemoths still hope to book their spots in Portugal, Atletico and PSG might see the unique format as an ideal opportunity for European glory. "We are capable of winning this competition, just like the other seven teams will be. I am convinced that we will be a strong proposition," said the PSG coach Thomas Tuchel. Underdogs Atalanta, from the northern Italian city of Bergamo devastated by the pandemic, are dreaming of going all the way. The same can be said of RB Leipzig, although they will have to do without star striker Timo Werner after he was sold to Chelsea.

Champions League draw comes with UEFA hoping virus doesn't ruin plans for Lisbon finale

UEFA is not looking for a Plan B for the Champions League ‘Final 8’ due to be held in Lisbon, Portugal, despite several towns in the Portuguese capital preparing to head into lockdown as COVID-19 cases surge again.

UEFA has clarified that it is in permanent contact with the Portuguese Football Association while adding there is no reason to have a plan B. However, the governing body said that they are ready to adapt if they have to.

“UEFA is in permanent contact with the Portuguese Football Association and the local authorities,” the governing body told French sports daily L’Equipe.

<h2>We’re monitoring the situation: UEFA</h2>

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“We hope that everything will go well and that it will be possible to organise the tournament in Portugal. For the moment there is no reason to have a plan B.

“We’re monitoring the situation on a daily basis and we’ll adapt if we have to.”

UEFA had, earlier in June, said that the Champions League 2019-20, which was suspended in March due to COVID-19 pandemic, would be played in a mini-tournament format with just one leg from August 12.

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Recently, the Portuguese government said that those in the affected areas of Lisbon, not including the downtown, would be only allowed to leave home to buy essential goods or to travel for work. The measures will be reviewed later on July 14.

Meanwhile, there is uncertainty over the venue of the second leg of Manchester City vs Real Madrid clash, which was supposed to be held at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester. With quarantine rules in place, it would be highly improbable for the Los Blancos to play the match in Madrid. Man City manager Pep Guardiola said that the Blues would follow whatever decision UEFA takes.

UEFA is not looking for a Plan B for the Champions League ‘Final 8’ due to be held in Lisbon, Portugal, despite several towns in the Portuguese capital preparing to head into lockdown as COVID-19 cases surge again.

UEFA is not looking for a Plan B for the Champions League ‘Final 8’ due to be held in Lisbon, Portugal, despite several towns in the Portuguese capital preparing to head into lockdown as COVID-19 cases surge again. UEFA has clarified that it is in permanent contact with the Portuguese Football Association while adding there is no reason to have a plan B. However, the governing body said that they are ready to adapt if they have to. “UEFA is in permanent contact with the Portuguese Football Association and the local authorities,” the governing body told French sports daily L’Equipe. We’re monitoring the situation: UEFA ALSO READ: Saudi Arabia's takeover of Newcastle is complicated, says Premier League chief “We hope that everything will go well and that it will be possible to organise the tournament in Portugal. For the moment there is no reason to have a plan B. “We’re monitoring the situation on a daily basis and we’ll adapt if we have to.” UEFA had, earlier in June, said that the Champions League 2019-20, which was suspended in March due to COVID-19 pandemic, would be played in a mini-tournament format with just one leg from August 12. ALSO READ: Jurgen Klopp hints at silent transfer market for Liverpool, says 'we cannot spend millions' Recently, the Portuguese government said that those in the affected areas of Lisbon, not including the downtown, would be only allowed to leave home to buy essential goods or to travel for work. The measures will be reviewed later on July 14. Meanwhile, there is uncertainty over the venue of the second leg of Manchester City vs Real Madrid clash, which was supposed to be held at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester. With quarantine rules in place, it would be highly improbable for the Los Blancos to play the match in Madrid. Man City manager Pep Guardiola said that the Blues would follow whatever decision UEFA takes.

Champions League: UEFA says knockouts still on despite surge in Lisbon COVID-19 cases

Paris Saint-Germain are still optimistic they can win the Champions League for the first time when the tournament is played out in Lisbon in August, even if the coronavirus crisis has left the Qatar-owned club apparently weakened both on the field and off it.

The decision to bring an early end to the French season in late April, with more than a quarter of matches unplayed, did not prevent PSG from being crowned Ligue 1 champions for the third year running, but it was hardly how they wanted things to end.

Without having had the chance to celebrate, the Parisians return to training on Monday, over three months after their last game, the 2-0 defeat of Borussia Dortmund in their Champions League last 16, second leg.

Their players have since spent months confined at home before having some time to take a holiday.

PSG's rivals in England, Spain, Germany and Italy are back playing again. In contrast, Neymar returned to France last weekend after three months in Brazil and headed straight to join teammates Marco Verratti, Angel Di Maria, Leandro Paredes and Marquinhos in the glitzy Mediterranean resort of Saint-Tropez.

Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe posted photos of himself on Instagram along the coast in Monaco.

They return this week to a club having to deal with the financial consequences of the pandemic and the early end to the season, with the resulting losses of ticketing and broadcast revenue.

Within PSG, it is estimated they stand to lose over 200 million euros ($224m), an enormous hit even for a club ranked the fifth-richest in the world in the latest Deloitte Football Money League.

<h2>- Old heads move on -</h2>

That will probably ensure there are no headline-grabbing transfers coming soon, although they recently made Argentine striker Mauro Icardi's loan move from Inter Milan permanent for a reported fee of up to 58 million euros.

The financial situation has also helped make up the mind of sporting director Leonardo over the futures of Thiago Silva and Edinson Cavani, two of the biggest figures of the Qatar era whose contracts expire this month and will not be retained.

"Maybe we are making a mistake, I don't know, there is never a perfect moment," Leonardo told Le Journal du Dimanche.

It is hoped Brazilian defender Silva, the club captain, can be persuaded to stay to feature in the Champions League latter stages, but club record goal-scorer Cavani has reportedly opted to walk away at the end of June.

The exodus will not stop there.

Right-back Thomas Meunier, reportedly bound for Dortmund, will not stick around. Highly talented 18-year-old defender Tanguy Kouassi is expected to sign for Bayern Munich.

However, the prospects of either Mbappe or Neymar leaving appear less than slim, given the financial challenges faced by PSG's European rivals.

"He is the future of PSG. That is what everyone wants. Ideally we would extend his contract," Leonardo said of Mbappe.

What Mbappe and PSG want now is the Champions League, and after years of underachievement in Europe they are targeting glory when the competition is played out in a "final eight" straight knockout format in Lisbon.

<h2>- 'More difficult' -</h2>

However, between now and a quarter-final somewhere between August 12 and 15, Thomas Tuchel's team will only have two competitive games, with the French Cup final against Saint-Etienne and League Cup final against Lyon both set to go ahead in late July.

"We have felt good ever since the season began. Unfortunately, we know what happened with the coronavirus and everything had to stop," Di Maria told sports daily L'Equipe.

"The other major leagues are restarting. That must not be an excuse but it does make things more difficult for us," he added.

Like Lyon, PSG are therefore completely out of step with their Champions League rivals, although that could still work to their advantage.

For example, Spanish and English clubs will have completed an exhausting dash to get their seasons finished in late July.

Perhaps Mbappe, Neymar and their teammates will be fresher than ever and therefore primed to go on and win the final in Lisbon on August 23.

Paris Saint-Germain are still optimistic they can win the Champions League for the first time when the tournament is played out in Lisbon in August, even if the coronavirus crisis has left the Qatar-owned club apparently weakened both on the field and off it.

Paris Saint-Germain are still optimistic they can win the Champions League for the first time when the tournament is played out in Lisbon in August, even if the coronavirus crisis has left the Qatar-owned club apparently weakened both on the field and off it. The decision to bring an early end to the French season in late April, with more than a quarter of matches unplayed, did not prevent PSG from being crowned Ligue 1 champions for the third year running, but it was hardly how they wanted things to end. Without having had the chance to celebrate, the Parisians return to training on Monday, over three months after their last game, the 2-0 defeat of Borussia Dortmund in their Champions League last 16, second leg. Their players have since spent months confined at home before having some time to take a holiday. PSG's rivals in England, Spain, Germany and Italy are back playing again. In contrast, Neymar returned to France last weekend after three months in Brazil and headed straight to join teammates Marco Verratti, Angel Di Maria, Leandro Paredes and Marquinhos in the glitzy Mediterranean resort of Saint-Tropez. Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe posted photos of himself on Instagram along the coast in Monaco. They return this week to a club having to deal with the financial consequences of the pandemic and the early end to the season, with the resulting losses of ticketing and broadcast revenue. Within PSG, it is estimated they stand to lose over 200 million euros ($224m), an enormous hit even for a club ranked the fifth-richest in the world in the latest Deloitte Football Money League. - Old heads move on - That will probably ensure there are no headline-grabbing transfers coming soon, although they recently made Argentine striker Mauro Icardi's loan move from Inter Milan permanent for a reported fee of up to 58 million euros. The financial situation has also helped make up the mind of sporting director Leonardo over the futures of Thiago Silva and Edinson Cavani, two of the biggest figures of the Qatar era whose contracts expire this month and will not be retained. "Maybe we are making a mistake, I don't know, there is never a perfect moment," Leonardo told Le Journal du Dimanche. It is hoped Brazilian defender Silva, the club captain, can be persuaded to stay to feature in the Champions League latter stages, but club record goal-scorer Cavani has reportedly opted to walk away at the end of June. The exodus will not stop there. Right-back Thomas Meunier, reportedly bound for Dortmund, will not stick around. Highly talented 18-year-old defender Tanguy Kouassi is expected to sign for Bayern Munich. However, the prospects of either Mbappe or Neymar leaving appear less than slim, given the financial challenges faced by PSG's European rivals. "He is the future of PSG. That is what everyone wants. Ideally we would extend his contract," Leonardo said of Mbappe. What Mbappe and PSG want now is the Champions League, and after years of underachievement in Europe they are targeting glory when the competition is played out in a "final eight" straight knockout format in Lisbon. - 'More difficult' - However, between now and a quarter-final somewhere between August 12 and 15, Thomas Tuchel's team will only have two competitive games, with the French Cup final against Saint-Etienne and League Cup final against Lyon both set to go ahead in late July. "We have felt good ever since the season began. Unfortunately, we know what happened with the coronavirus and everything had to stop," Di Maria told sports daily L'Equipe. "The other major leagues are restarting. That must not be an excuse but it does make things more difficult for us," he added. Like Lyon, PSG are therefore completely out of step with their Champions League rivals, although that could still work to their advantage. For example, Spanish and English clubs will have completed an exhausting dash to get their seasons finished in late July. Perhaps Mbappe, Neymar and their teammates will be fresher than ever and therefore primed to go on and win the final in Lisbon on August 23.

PSG re-emerge weakened but with eyes fixed on Champions League prize

With European football coming back to life, UEFA on Wednesday took a historic decision with the Champions League 2019-20 now set to be completed in Lisbon in August. The quarter-final of UEFA Champions League will be one-legged affairs, scrapping the traditional two-legged ties, and will commence in Lisbon on August 12 with the final of the elite competition set for August 23.

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<h2>UEFA Champions League – fixtures:</h2>

Quarter-finals: 12-15 August

Semi-finals: 18-19 August

Final: 23 August

Similarly, the UEFA Europa League will be completed with a final eight across four German cities with the showdown set for August 21. Whereas the closing stages of the women’s Champions League will be played in Bilbao and San Sebastian in August end.

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The four last-16, second leg matches which still have to be played — Manchester City vs Real Madrid, Bayern Munich vs Chelsea, Juventus vs Olympique Lyonnais and Barcelona vs Napoli — will take place on Aug. 7/8, either at the originally scheduled venues or in Portugal with UEFA yet to comment on the venue of the remaining second-legged matches from the incomplete round.&nbsp;

Paris St Germain, Atletico Madrid, Atalanta and RB Leipzig have already qualified for the quarter-finals. A draw to decide the fixtures will take place on 10 July.

As a result of the tweaking, the venues for the upcoming continental finals will be pushed forward by a year to compensate for losing out on the 2019-20 season. The 2021 UCL final will be played in Istanbul, the original host of the 2020 UCL final, whereas St Petersburg will host in 2022, Munich 2023 and Wembley 2024. 
&nbsp;

With European football coming back to life, UEFA on Wednesday took a historic decision with the Champions League 2019-20 now set to be completed in Lisbon in August.

With European football coming back to life, UEFA on Wednesday took a historic decision with the Champions League 2019-20 now set to be completed in Lisbon in August. The quarter-final of UEFA Champions League will be one-legged affairs, scrapping the traditional two-legged ties, and will commence in Lisbon on August 12 with the final of the elite competition set for August 23. ALSO READ: Juventus vs Napoli, Coppa Italia Final, Preview: A feisty face-off expected in Rome UEFA Champions League – fixtures: Quarter-finals: 12-15 August Semi-finals: 18-19 August Final: 23 August Similarly, the UEFA Europa League will be completed with a final eight across four German cities with the showdown set for August 21. Whereas the closing stages of the women’s Champions League will be played in Bilbao and San Sebastian in August end. ALSO READ: Premier League CEO Richard Masters supports 'Black Lives Matter' on team jerseys The four last-16, second leg matches which still have to be played — Manchester City vs Real Madrid, Bayern Munich vs Chelsea, Juventus vs Olympique Lyonnais and Barcelona vs Napoli — will take place on Aug. 7/8, either at the originally scheduled venues or in Portugal with UEFA yet to comment on the venue of the remaining second-legged matches from the incomplete round. Paris St Germain, Atletico Madrid, Atalanta and RB Leipzig have already qualified for the quarter-finals. A draw to decide the fixtures will take place on 10 July. As a result of the tweaking, the venues for the upcoming continental finals will be pushed forward by a year to compensate for losing out on the 2019-20 season. The 2021 UCL final will be played in Istanbul, the original host of the 2020 UCL final, whereas St Petersburg will host in 2022, Munich 2023 and Wembley 2024.

UEFA Champions League 'Final 8' to be played in Lisbon; summit clash on August 23

As football around Europe returns after a long suspension, UEFA is set to announce the format for the latter stages of the Champions League at a key meeting on Wednesday which will also raise the thorny issue of the postponed, pan-continental Euro 2020.

The Champions League was frozen in mid-March before the last-16 stage had been completed, as the sport ground to a halt when the coronavirus pandemic began to take hold.

Initially, European football's governing body had hoped to finish its flagship competition -- along with the Europa League and women's Champions League -- by the end of June.

It soon became clear that such an outcome was overly optimistic, and during the peak of the pandemic in Europe any prospect of finishing the season at all looked slim.

Nevertheless, UEFA has for some time been working on a way of completing its season in August, which looks feasible as leagues restart and the European death toll from Covid-19 slows.

With that in mind, the Executive Committee meeting, to be held by videoconference, is set to approve the idea of a "Final Eight" in Lisbon, as widely reported by media across Europe in recent days.

That would mean finding a way to play out the four remaining last 16, second legs before bringing together all the &nbsp;quarter-finalists in Portugal's capital for a series of one-off games to crown the European champions. According to reports, the final would be on August 23.

In the current context, grouping all teams together in one place and reducing travel is the wisest solution, although it remains to be seen how many fans, if any, could attend.

Football in most countries is being played behind closed doors, yet UEFA's meeting comes in the same week many EU member states -- Portugal among them -- opened up once again to foreign visitors.

The final was scheduled to be played in Istanbul on May 30 and only last week Turkey's Sports Minister, Mehmet Kasapoglu, expressed confidence that the city would not lose out.

"I have no doubt it will take place in the best way in Turkey. We're confident that we will receive good news on June 17," he said.

However, last month the New York Times reported that Istanbul could instead be awarded a future final, when it is safe for fans to travel in large numbers.

<h2>- Fewer hosts for Euro 2020? -</h2>

Gdansk in Poland was slated to host the Europa League final but that competition also looks set to finish in a watered down "Final Eight" format.

German newspaper Bild reported last week that the closing stages would be switched to the region around the western city of Cologne.

A similar format could be brought in for the women's Champions League, the final of which was due to be played in Vienna.

UEFA's announcements will have a knock-on effect on when next season can start around Europe. Everything could be derailed by a second wave of coronavirus infections.

Euro 2020 was meant to be in full swing by now, but postponing the tournament by 12 months was one of the first big decisions taken as the crisis intensified.

Staging the European Championship in 12 different countries, from as far apart as Baku and Saint Petersburg to Dublin and Bilbao, already looked questionable before the virus struck.

Now UEFA must potentially make some big decisions about its format, and president Aleksander Ceferin recently hinted that the number of host cities could be reduced.

In an interview with beIN Sports, he admitted to having "some issues" with three unnamed cities. "In principle, we will do it in 12 cities. But if not, we are ready to do it in 10, nine or eight," he said.

That could leave some hosts -- just like Istanbul -- less than happy, making this week's meeting a potentially delicate diplomatic operation for UEFA to go along with all the logistical challenges.

As football around Europe returns after a long suspension, UEFA is set to announce the format for the latter stages of the Champions League at a key meeting on Wednesday which will also raise the thorny issue of the postponed, pan-continental Euro 2020.

As football around Europe returns after a long suspension, UEFA is set to announce the format for the latter stages of the Champions League at a key meeting on Wednesday which will also raise the thorny issue of the postponed, pan-continental Euro 2020. The Champions League was frozen in mid-March before the last-16 stage had been completed, as the sport ground to a halt when the coronavirus pandemic began to take hold. Initially, European football's governing body had hoped to finish its flagship competition -- along with the Europa League and women's Champions League -- by the end of June. It soon became clear that such an outcome was overly optimistic, and during the peak of the pandemic in Europe any prospect of finishing the season at all looked slim. Nevertheless, UEFA has for some time been working on a way of completing its season in August, which looks feasible as leagues restart and the European death toll from Covid-19 slows. With that in mind, the Executive Committee meeting, to be held by videoconference, is set to approve the idea of a "Final Eight" in Lisbon, as widely reported by media across Europe in recent days. That would mean finding a way to play out the four remaining last 16, second legs before bringing together all the quarter-finalists in Portugal's capital for a series of one-off games to crown the European champions. According to reports, the final would be on August 23. In the current context, grouping all teams together in one place and reducing travel is the wisest solution, although it remains to be seen how many fans, if any, could attend. Football in most countries is being played behind closed doors, yet UEFA's meeting comes in the same week many EU member states -- Portugal among them -- opened up once again to foreign visitors. The final was scheduled to be played in Istanbul on May 30 and only last week Turkey's Sports Minister, Mehmet Kasapoglu, expressed confidence that the city would not lose out. "I have no doubt it will take place in the best way in Turkey. We're confident that we will receive good news on June 17," he said. However, last month the New York Times reported that Istanbul could instead be awarded a future final, when it is safe for fans to travel in large numbers. - Fewer hosts for Euro 2020? - Gdansk in Poland was slated to host the Europa League final but that competition also looks set to finish in a watered down "Final Eight" format. German newspaper Bild reported last week that the closing stages would be switched to the region around the western city of Cologne. A similar format could be brought in for the women's Champions League, the final of which was due to be played in Vienna. UEFA's announcements will have a knock-on effect on when next season can start around Europe. Everything could be derailed by a second wave of coronavirus infections. Euro 2020 was meant to be in full swing by now, but postponing the tournament by 12 months was one of the first big decisions taken as the crisis intensified. Staging the European Championship in 12 different countries, from as far apart as Baku and Saint Petersburg to Dublin and Bilbao, already looked questionable before the virus struck. Now UEFA must potentially make some big decisions about its format, and president Aleksander Ceferin recently hinted that the number of host cities could be reduced. In an interview with beIN Sports, he admitted to having "some issues" with three unnamed cities. "In principle, we will do it in 12 cities. But if not, we are ready to do it in 10, nine or eight," he said. That could leave some hosts -- just like Istanbul -- less than happy, making this week's meeting a potentially delicate diplomatic operation for UEFA to go along with all the logistical challenges.

Key UEFA meeting to decide on way forward for suspended Champions League

UEFA is set to decide the road map to conclude the 2019-20 Champions League and Europa League competitions which have been put on hold since March due to COVID-19 pandemic. UEFA in its statement, on Thursday, said that the executive committee would meet via video-conference on June 17 with the top agenda being “round of 16 onwards and related determinations” for both the top European competitions.

The Champions League final was originally slated to be played in Istanbul with the Europa League summit clash scheduled in Gdansk, Poland. However, UEFA has already confirmed that a “variety of options” were being looked in a bid to conclude the two tournaments.

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These could include playing the remaining rounds of matches in a single venue and cut the quarter-final and semis to one leg matches instead of traditional two. However, Champions League would need to complete the remaining four Champions League round of 16 matches with Atletico Madrid, Paris St Germain, Atalanta and RB Leipzig already qualified for the quarterfinals.&nbsp;

Whereas in Europa League, two round of 16 first-leg matches still needs to be played with all the second legs still pending.

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The Mayor of Madrid has already confirmed that the Spanish capital is in talks about hosting the UCL final if there is any shift.

The UEFA executive committee meeting will also discuss the schedule and venues for the EURO 2020 which was postponed until 2021. The 24-team competition will be played across 12 cities across Europe.

UEFA is set to decide the road map to conclude the 2019-20 Champions League and Europa League competitions which have been put on hold since March due to COVID-19 pandemic.

UEFA is set to decide the road map to conclude the 2019-20 Champions League and Europa League competitions which have been put on hold since March due to COVID-19 pandemic. UEFA in its statement, on Thursday, said that the executive committee would meet via video-conference on June 17 with the top agenda being “round of 16 onwards and related determinations” for both the top European competitions. The Champions League final was originally slated to be played in Istanbul with the Europa League summit clash scheduled in Gdansk, Poland. However, UEFA has already confirmed that a “variety of options” were being looked in a bid to conclude the two tournaments. ALSO READ: Premier League clubs post record revenue but face COVID-19 impact - report These could include playing the remaining rounds of matches in a single venue and cut the quarter-final and semis to one leg matches instead of traditional two. However, Champions League would need to complete the remaining four Champions League round of 16 matches with Atletico Madrid, Paris St Germain, Atalanta and RB Leipzig already qualified for the quarterfinals. Whereas in Europa League, two round of 16 first-leg matches still needs to be played with all the second legs still pending. ALSO READ: Premier League: One new coronavirus case from 1213 tests The Mayor of Madrid has already confirmed that the Spanish capital is in talks about hosting the UCL final if there is any shift. The UEFA executive committee meeting will also discuss the schedule and venues for the EURO 2020 which was postponed until 2021. The 24-team competition will be played across 12 cities across Europe.

UEFA to decide Champions League, Europa League conclusion on June 17

UEFA is planning to complete the 2019-20 Champions League and Europa League competitions by playing the remaining round of matches in one host city, as per Getafe president Angel Torres.

Both Champions and Europa League were put on hold at the round of 16 stage in March due to the COVID-19 outbreak with the Champions League final in Istanbul and Europa League spectacle in Gdansk also postponed.&nbsp;

“UEFA’s idea is to play the Champions League and Europa League, starting from the quarter-finals, across one match in one venue although nothing has been confirmed yet,” Torres told Spanish radio station Cadena COPE on Friday.

“They will come to a decision on June 17 (when the executive committee meets).”

According to Torres, the traditional two-legged ties of the knockout competitions until the final will be scrapped with just one match deciding the outcome.&nbsp;

UEFA said: “A working group has been set up with the participation of representatives from the leagues and clubs to examine calendar solutions and format options that would allow for the completion of the current season.

“A variety of options are being looked at and no decisions have been made at this stage.”

Getafe’s round of 16 first-leg match against Inter Milan was postponed after stern criticism by Torres about the match being played in Italy, which was the European epicenter of the pandemic, at that time.

Meanwhile, the second legs of four Champions League RO16 fixture are still pending with four clubs in Atletico Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Atalanta and Red Bull Leipzig qualifying for the quarter-finals. 
&nbsp;

UEFA is planning to complete the 2019-20 Champions League and Europa League competitions by playing the remaining round of matches in one host city, as per Getafe president Angel Torres.

UEFA is planning to complete the 2019-20 Champions League and Europa League competitions by playing the remaining round of matches in one host city, as per Getafe president Angel Torres. Both Champions and Europa League were put on hold at the round of 16 stage in March due to the COVID-19 outbreak with the Champions League final in Istanbul and Europa League spectacle in Gdansk also postponed. “UEFA’s idea is to play the Champions League and Europa League, starting from the quarter-finals, across one match in one venue although nothing has been confirmed yet,” Torres told Spanish radio station Cadena COPE on Friday. “They will come to a decision on June 17 (when the executive committee meets).” According to Torres, the traditional two-legged ties of the knockout competitions until the final will be scrapped with just one match deciding the outcome. UEFA said: “A working group has been set up with the participation of representatives from the leagues and clubs to examine calendar solutions and format options that would allow for the completion of the current season. “A variety of options are being looked at and no decisions have been made at this stage.” Getafe’s round of 16 first-leg match against Inter Milan was postponed after stern criticism by Torres about the match being played in Italy, which was the European epicenter of the pandemic, at that time. Meanwhile, the second legs of four Champions League RO16 fixture are still pending with four clubs in Atletico Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Atalanta and Red Bull Leipzig qualifying for the quarter-finals.

UEFA's idea is to complete Champions League, Europa League with one-legged matches at single venue: Getafe president

After the announcement of the French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, french professional sports leagues including football and rugby won’t be able to resume action before September due to COVID-19 restriction.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/french-pm-edouard-philippes-announcement-ends-ligue-1-and-ligue-2-seasons-295375">French PM Edouard Philippe's announcement ends Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 seasons</a>

Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said that the club will be completing the rest of the Champions League season abroad if the regulations as per announcement do not allow them to play in the country.&nbsp;

Al-Khelaifi said: "We respect the French government decision. With agreement from UEFA, we plan on competing in the Champions League, wherever and whenever it is held."

"If it is not possible to play in France we will play our matches abroad, ensuring the best medical safety conditions for our players and all of our staff."

Earlier, UEFA had set a deadline of August 2 for domestic leagues to be completed and French Professional Football League (LFP) had announced plans for Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 to resume on June 17.

While the league and some clubs may want to resume training after May 11, the French government doesn’t see it as an absolute priority and have decided to ban professional sporting leagues including football and rugby until September.

Before the season was halted due to the outbreak of COVID-19, PSG, Marseille and Rennes occupied the UEFA Champions League whereas Lille are taking the Europa League spot. Nimes, Amiens and Toulouse are in the relegation zone. Whereas in Ligue 2, Lorient and Lens are in promotion spots.

After the announcement of the French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, french professional sports leagues including football and rugby won’t be able to resume action before September due to COVID-19 restriction.

After the announcement of the French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, french professional sports leagues including football and rugby won’t be able to resume action before September due to COVID-19 restriction. Also read: French PM Edouard Philippe's announcement ends Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 seasons Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said that the club will be completing the rest of the Champions League season abroad if the regulations as per announcement do not allow them to play in the country. Al-Khelaifi said: "We respect the French government decision. With agreement from UEFA, we plan on competing in the Champions League, wherever and whenever it is held." "If it is not possible to play in France we will play our matches abroad, ensuring the best medical safety conditions for our players and all of our staff." Earlier, UEFA had set a deadline of August 2 for domestic leagues to be completed and French Professional Football League (LFP) had announced plans for Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 to resume on June 17. While the league and some clubs may want to resume training after May 11, the French government doesn’t see it as an absolute priority and have decided to ban professional sporting leagues including football and rugby until September. Before the season was halted due to the outbreak of COVID-19, PSG, Marseille and Rennes occupied the UEFA Champions League whereas Lille are taking the Europa League spot. Nimes, Amiens and Toulouse are in the relegation zone. Whereas in Ligue 2, Lorient and Lens are in promotion spots.

Paris Saint-Germain could play Champions League fixtures abroad: Nasser Al-Khelaifi

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

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.

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. ALSO READ: Chinese Super League to start by July: Club chairman 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. ALSO READ: Premier League's transfer market bubble set to burst “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."

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

UEFA and Europe's top clubs have stated their determination that the current football season should be played to a conclusion and threatened that teams may be excluded from the next Champions League if their domestic competitions are ended prematurely.

In a joint letter released late on Thursday, UEFA, the European Club Association (ECA), and the European Leagues body representing nearly a thousand clubs in 29 countries, said that they were working on the possibility of playing on into July and August if need be.

The Champions League and Europa League -- both of which are currently frozen in the last-16 stage -- could be completed once the domestic seasons are finished, and "stopping competitions should really be the last resort after acknowledging that no calendar alternative would allow to conclude the season."

The joint response came after the Belgian Pro League announced on Thursday that it recommended declaring the current season over already with the present table accepted as final.

It is the first European league to take such a measure, although more could follow.

That means Club Brugge would in theory go straight into the next Champions League group stage, but UEFA, the ECA and the European Leagues indicated that they may be barred from continental competition if the Belgian league decision is finalised.

"It is of paramount importance that even a disruptive event like this epidemic does not prevent our competitions from being decided on the field, in accordance with their rules and that all sporting titles are awarded on the basis of results," the joint letter said.

<h2>- Not justified -</h2>

"We are confident that football can restart in the months to come –- with conditions that will be dictated by public authorities -- and believe that any decision of abandoning domestic competitions is, at this stage, premature and not justified.

"Since participation in UEFA club competitions is determined by the sporting result achieved at the end of a full domestic competition, a premature termination would cast doubts about the fulfilment of such condition."

The letter concluded: "UEFA reserves the right to assess the entitlement of clubs to be admitted to the 2020/21 UEFA club competitions."

UEFA has set up two working groups to devise a way for European football to get out of the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

One is tasked with looking at the legal and financial consequences of the crisis, while the other is devising a new match calendar. UEFA and the clubs have set themselves a mid-May target for deciding on the most viable option for completing the season.

There have been calls in other countries for this season to be declared null and void, but any option which rules out completing this season could have serious consequences for leagues reliant on huge television deals and who could find themselves having to reimburse broadcasters if remaining matches are not played.

Justifying its decision, the Belgian Pro League said it was "very unlikely" to be able to hold matches in front of crowds before June 30 and that it had "unanimously decided that it was not desirable...to continue the competition" after that date.

The decision still needs to be formally validated at a General Assembly on April 15.

UEFA and Europe's top clubs have stated their determination that the current football season should be played to a conclusion and threatened that teams may be excluded from the next Champions League if their domestic competitions are ended prematurely.

UEFA and Europe's top clubs have stated their determination that the current football season should be played to a conclusion and threatened that teams may be excluded from the next Champions League if their domestic competitions are ended prematurely. In a joint letter released late on Thursday, UEFA, the European Club Association (ECA), and the European Leagues body representing nearly a thousand clubs in 29 countries, said that they were working on the possibility of playing on into July and August if need be. The Champions League and Europa League -- both of which are currently frozen in the last-16 stage -- could be completed once the domestic seasons are finished, and "stopping competitions should really be the last resort after acknowledging that no calendar alternative would allow to conclude the season." The joint response came after the Belgian Pro League announced on Thursday that it recommended declaring the current season over already with the present table accepted as final. It is the first European league to take such a measure, although more could follow. That means Club Brugge would in theory go straight into the next Champions League group stage, but UEFA, the ECA and the European Leagues indicated that they may be barred from continental competition if the Belgian league decision is finalised. "It is of paramount importance that even a disruptive event like this epidemic does not prevent our competitions from being decided on the field, in accordance with their rules and that all sporting titles are awarded on the basis of results," the joint letter said. - Not justified - "We are confident that football can restart in the months to come –- with conditions that will be dictated by public authorities -- and believe that any decision of abandoning domestic competitions is, at this stage, premature and not justified. "Since participation in UEFA club competitions is determined by the sporting result achieved at the end of a full domestic competition, a premature termination would cast doubts about the fulfilment of such condition." The letter concluded: "UEFA reserves the right to assess the entitlement of clubs to be admitted to the 2020/21 UEFA club competitions." UEFA has set up two working groups to devise a way for European football to get out of the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic. One is tasked with looking at the legal and financial consequences of the crisis, while the other is devising a new match calendar. UEFA and the clubs have set themselves a mid-May target for deciding on the most viable option for completing the season. There have been calls in other countries for this season to be declared null and void, but any option which rules out completing this season could have serious consequences for leagues reliant on huge television deals and who could find themselves having to reimburse broadcasters if remaining matches are not played. Justifying its decision, the Belgian Pro League said it was "very unlikely" to be able to hold matches in front of crowds before June 30 and that it had "unanimously decided that it was not desirable...to continue the competition" after that date. The decision still needs to be formally validated at a General Assembly on April 15.

UEFA warn clubs risk Champions League exclusion if seasons are not completed

UEFA have made a move towards clearing the decks for the return of club football by announcing on Wednesday that all international matches that had been pushed back to June have now been postponed until further notice.

"This includes the play-off matches for UEFA EURO 2020 and qualifying matches for UEFA Women's EURO 2021," said European football's governing body in a statement.

"All other UEFA competition matches, including the centralised international friendly matches, remain postponed until further notice."

The decision followed a videoconference with Europe's 55 member federations as part of discussions on how to adapt the fixture calendar in the face of the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

The play-off semi-finals and finals that are supposed to decide the last four qualifying berths for the next European Championship were initially postponed at the end of March and pencilled in provisionally for June.

That was "subject to a review of the situation" amid uncertainty over how the pandemic will develop and whether many European countries currently in lockdown will be able to return to some kind of normality.

However, UEFA has also stated a determination to finish all domestic and club competitions by June 30.

While that currently looks ambitious at the very least, clearing the international fixtures from the same month does buy some more time as they aim to complete the Champions League and Europa League competitions as well as domestic leagues.

Carrying the season on beyond that date runs the risk of clubs losing their out-of-contract players before matches have been completed, unless a solution can be found.

The impact of the pandemic on Europe has already forced UEFA to put Euro 2020 back 12 months.

UEFA have made a move towards clearing the decks for the return of club football by announcing on Wednesday that all international matches that had been pushed back to June have now been postponed until further notice.

UEFA have made a move towards clearing the decks for the return of club football by announcing on Wednesday that all international matches that had been pushed back to June have now been postponed until further notice. "This includes the play-off matches for UEFA EURO 2020 and qualifying matches for UEFA Women's EURO 2021," said European football's governing body in a statement. "All other UEFA competition matches, including the centralised international friendly matches, remain postponed until further notice." The decision followed a videoconference with Europe's 55 member federations as part of discussions on how to adapt the fixture calendar in the face of the ongoing coronavirus crisis. The play-off semi-finals and finals that are supposed to decide the last four qualifying berths for the next European Championship were initially postponed at the end of March and pencilled in provisionally for June. That was "subject to a review of the situation" amid uncertainty over how the pandemic will develop and whether many European countries currently in lockdown will be able to return to some kind of normality. However, UEFA has also stated a determination to finish all domestic and club competitions by June 30. While that currently looks ambitious at the very least, clearing the international fixtures from the same month does buy some more time as they aim to complete the Champions League and Europa League competitions as well as domestic leagues. Carrying the season on beyond that date runs the risk of clubs losing their out-of-contract players before matches have been completed, unless a solution can be found. The impact of the pandemic on Europe has already forced UEFA to put Euro 2020 back 12 months.

UEFA postpone all international matches scheduled for June

It was Atalanta’s maiden appearance in the knockout stage of UEFA Champions League (UCL) as they faced Spanish outfit Valencia at Milan’s famous San Siro Stadium on February 19. With 45,792 witnessing the match from the stadium in what was a 4-1 victory for the Italian club but what followed in Italy and Spain is a complete massacre which has led to medical experts terming the match as a ‘biological bomb’.&nbsp;

The match between Atalanta and Valencia have been dubbed as ‘Game Zero’ by the local media as it was held two days before the first case of locally transmitted COVID-19 was confirmed in Italy.

A third of Bergamo’s population made a trip to Milan with around 2,500 fans joining in from Spain to witness the biggest football match in Atalanta’s history. But since then, around 7,000 people in Bergamo has been tested positive for COVID-19 with more than 1,000 dying from the virus. Whereas the Valencia region has witnessed more than 2,600 people being infected from the deadly virus.&nbsp;

&nbsp;“I’m sure that 40,000 people hugging and kissing each other while standing a centimetre apart — four times, because Atalanta scored four goals (the final result was 4-1) — was definitely a huge accelerator for contagion,” Luca Lorini, the head of the intensive care unit at the Pope John XXIII hospital in Bergamo, told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

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“Right now we’re at war. When peacetime comes, I can assure you we will go and see how many of the 40,000 people who went to the game became infected,” Lorini added. “Right now we have other priorities.”

There was no stopping UCL matches as Atalanta and Valencia locked horns in the second-leg on March 10, played behind closed doors at Mestalla Stadium in Valencia. A few thousand Valencia fans gathered outside the stadium to welcome the team. But who will take the responsibility now?

<img alt="Atalanta vs Valencia, UCL match" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="abe14e9f-ae2a-4485-8e7d-92d3205ae36f" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_1PR9AJ.jpg" />

Atalanta captain Alejandro “Papu” Gómez told Argentine daily Olé it was “terrible” to have played that game.

Fabiano di Marco, the chief pneumologist at the Pope John XXIII hospital in Bergamo, told Corriere della Sera the fans travelled to the match "in buses, cars, trains. A biological bomb, unfortunately."

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Duomo Milano <a href="https://twitter.com/valenciacf?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@valenciacf</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/valenciacf_en?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@valenciacf_en</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AtalantaValencia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AtalantaValencia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ATAVAL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ATAVAL</a> <a href="https://t.co/7G0jzUTSTc">pic.twitter.com/7G0jzUTSTc</a>
— Fady Fakhoury (@FAF_91) <a href="https://twitter.com/FAF_91/status/1230107645790605312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2020</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Bergamo, which is one of the most affected provinces in Italy by the COVID-19, has witnessed its cemetery becoming being piled up with the number of dead with military trucks transporting bodies to a neighbouring region for cremation.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/britains-youngest-to-be-olympian-sky-brown-sends-special-message-to-fans-as-olympics-gets-postponed-288672">Britain's youngest to-be Olympian Sky Brown sends special message to fans as Olympics gets postponed</a>

“We were mid-February so we didn’t have the circumstances of what was happening,” Bergamo Mayor Giorgio Gori said this week during a live Facebook chat with the Foreign Press Association in Rome. “If it’s true what they’re saying that the virus was already circulating in Europe in January, then it’s very probable that 40,000 Bergamaschi in the stands of San Siro, all together, exchanged the virus between them. As is possible that so many Bergamaschi that night got together in houses, bars to watch the match and did the same.

“Unfortunately, we couldn’t have known. No one knew the virus was already here,” the mayor added. “It was inevitable.”

<img alt="Atalanta vs Valencia, UCL match" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="db51eca5-421b-4831-878d-c618144a768a" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_1P47U6.jpg" />

Around a week after the match, a journalist who travelled to Milan became the second person infected in the region before numbers started to increase as people who were in contact with him also tested positive for the deadly virus, as did the Valencia fans who were at the game.

With the UEFA Champions League being suspended because of COVID-19 pandemic, Atalanta have no clue whether they will get to play in the quarter-final – which will be again their biggest game in history.&nbsp;

It was Atalanta’s maiden appearance in the knockout stage of UEFA Champions League (UCL) as they faced Spanish outfit Valencia at Milan’s famous San Siro Stadium on February 19.

It was Atalanta’s maiden appearance in the knockout stage of UEFA Champions League (UCL) as they faced Spanish outfit Valencia at Milan’s famous San Siro Stadium on February 19. With 45,792 witnessing the match from the stadium in what was a 4-1 victory for the Italian club but what followed in Italy and Spain is a complete massacre which has led to medical experts terming the match as a ‘biological bomb’. The match between Atalanta and Valencia have been dubbed as ‘Game Zero’ by the local media as it was held two days before the first case of locally transmitted COVID-19 was confirmed in Italy. A third of Bergamo’s population made a trip to Milan with around 2,500 fans joining in from Spain to witness the biggest football match in Atalanta’s history. But since then, around 7,000 people in Bergamo has been tested positive for COVID-19 with more than 1,000 dying from the virus. Whereas the Valencia region has witnessed more than 2,600 people being infected from the deadly virus. “I’m sure that 40,000 people hugging and kissing each other while standing a centimetre apart — four times, because Atalanta scored four goals (the final result was 4-1) — was definitely a huge accelerator for contagion,” Luca Lorini, the head of the intensive care unit at the Pope John XXIII hospital in Bergamo, told The Associated Press on Wednesday. [#ATAVAL]: But de #Atalanta (Tags:#Valence #Atalanta #ChampionsLeague #Goal #AtalantaVCF @Atalanta_BC @valenciacf) pic.twitter.com/fbWodsaTJv — N̶x̶n̶d̶o̶!̶ (@Nanxdo_) February 19, 2020 × ALSO READ: Italian sports minister 'very, very doubtful' about Serie A returning in May “Right now we’re at war. When peacetime comes, I can assure you we will go and see how many of the 40,000 people who went to the game became infected,” Lorini added. “Right now we have other priorities.” There was no stopping UCL matches as Atalanta and Valencia locked horns in the second-leg on March 10, played behind closed doors at Mestalla Stadium in Valencia. A few thousand Valencia fans gathered outside the stadium to welcome the team. But who will take the responsibility now? Atalanta captain Alejandro “Papu” Gómez told Argentine daily Olé it was “terrible” to have played that game. Fabiano di Marco, the chief pneumologist at the Pope John XXIII hospital in Bergamo, told Corriere della Sera the fans travelled to the match "in buses, cars, trains. A biological bomb, unfortunately." Duomo Milano @valenciacf @valenciacf_en #AtalantaValencia #ATAVAL pic.twitter.com/7G0jzUTSTc — Fady Fakhoury (@FAF_91) February 19, 2020 × Bergamo, which is one of the most affected provinces in Italy by the COVID-19, has witnessed its cemetery becoming being piled up with the number of dead with military trucks transporting bodies to a neighbouring region for cremation. ALSO READ: Britain's youngest to-be Olympian Sky Brown sends special message to fans as Olympics gets postponed “We were mid-February so we didn’t have the circumstances of what was happening,” Bergamo Mayor Giorgio Gori said this week during a live Facebook chat with the Foreign Press Association in Rome. “If it’s true what they’re saying that the virus was already circulating in Europe in January, then it’s very probable that 40,000 Bergamaschi in the stands of San Siro, all together, exchanged the virus between them. As is possible that so many Bergamaschi that night got together in houses, bars to watch the match and did the same. “Unfortunately, we couldn’t have known. No one knew the virus was already here,” the mayor added. “It was inevitable.” Around a week after the match, a journalist who travelled to Milan became the second person infected in the region before numbers started to increase as people who were in contact with him also tested positive for the deadly virus, as did the Valencia fans who were at the game. With the UEFA Champions League being suspended because of COVID-19 pandemic, Atalanta have no clue whether they will get to play in the quarter-final – which will be again their biggest game in history.

Atalanta vs Valencia 'Game Zero': UEFA Champions League match a 'biological bomb' that infected Bergamo province in Italy with COVID-19

AFP looks at the effects on sport of the coronavirus, which by Thursday had killed over 4,600 people while infecting more than 127,000 in 115 countries and territories.

<h2>FOOTBALL</h2>

- Arsenal's match at Brighton &amp; Hove Albion was postponed early on Friday after Gunners manager Mikel Arteta tested positive for COVID-19.&nbsp;

-- The Premier League announced it was holding an emergency meeting on Friday to discuss the fate of future fixtures.

-- Spanish club Real Madrid's players were put in quarantine as La Liga announced Spain's top two divisions will be suspended for at least two weeks.

A member of Real's basketball squad tested positive for the virus leading to its senior football team being put in quarantine.

--&nbsp;UEFA&nbsp;will hold a crisis meeting next Tuesday with representatives from all 55 national associations and club and player bodies about Euro 2020 and the ongoing Champions League and Europa League.

-- In Italy, the hardest-hit European country with 1,016 deaths from COVID-19, all sporting events including Serie A have been suspended until April 3.

-- On Wednesday Juventus defender Daniele Rugani became the first Serie A footballer to test positive with Sampdoria forward Manolo Gabbiadini announcing that he had contracted the virus on Thursday.

-- The second leg of Juve's Champions League last 16 tie with Lyon was postponed on Wednesday, as was Manchester City v Real Madrid.

-- Barcelona v Napoli and Bayern Munich v Chelsea will be played behind closed doors.

-- France's Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 will have no fans for at least the next two weeks.

-- Arsenal players have been put in quarantine after coming into contact with the owner of Greek club Olympiakos, who tested positive.

-- German Bundesliga teams have begun to close their stadiums to fans, with this weekend's matches set to be played in front of empty stands.

-- The Netherlands' Eredivisie has been suspended until March 31.

-- Three&nbsp;UEFA&nbsp;Europa League games on Thursday including Manchester United away to LASK Linz had no fans, while the ties between Inter Milan and Getafe and Roma and Sevilla were postponed.

-- The Netherlands' friendly against Spain set for March 29 cancelled. The United States has called off friendlies against the Dutch on March 26 and Wales (March 30).

-- International friendlies to be played behind closed doors include France v Ukraine and Germany v Italy.

-- The start of Japan's J-League was postponed till mid-March while China suspended all domestic football and shelved indefinitely the top-flight Super League season.

-- The French League Cup final between Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon has been called off, with no new date yet fixed, as has the Spanish Copa del Rey final between Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao.

-- A Euro 2020 warm-up tournament in Qatar featuring Portugal, Belgium, Croatia and Switzerland, has been cancelled.

-- South American World Cup qualifiers have been postponed, as was the next round of the Copa Libertadores.

-- The FIFA Congress, due to take place in Addis Ababa on June 5, was pushed back to September 18.

<h2>TENNIS</h2>

-- The ATP has suspended its tour for six weeks "due to escalating health and safety issues".

-- The ATP and WTA Miami Open was called off&nbsp;after Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez declared a state of emergency over the outbreak.

-- The prestigious ATP and WTA Indian Wells tournament was cancelled, the first major sports event in the US to be shelved because of the outbreak.

-- The inaugural Fed Cup Finals scheduled for next month in Budapest were postponed.

<h2>RUGBY UNION</h2>

-- The Six Nations match between Italy and England in Rome on Saturday as well as the Ireland v Italy duel in Dublin on March 7 were postponed.

-- Title challengers France's final game against Ireland, also scheduled for Saturday, was also put off until October.

-- Sevens World Series tournaments in Hong Kong on April 3-5 and Singapore the following weekend will now be played in October.

<h2>MOTORSPORT</h2>

-- Sunday's season-opening Australian Grand Prix was called off early on Friday.

-- Bahrain's Formula One Grand Prix on March 20-22 will be held without spectators.

-- The Chinese Grand Prix, which was set for April 19 in Shanghai, has been postponed.

-- In motorcycling, the season-opening Qatar MotoGP was cancelled, along with the Thailand MotoGP on March 22 (postponed until October 4). On Tuesday the Grand Prix of the Americas at Austin was rescheduled from April to November, while the MotoGP race in Argentina was also put on hold.

-- Formula E indefinitely postponed the Rome E-Prix, which was due to be held on April 4.

<h2>BASKETBALL</h2>

-- NBA suspended the season after Utah Jazz's Rudy Gobert tested positive for the new coronavirus. ESPN reported that his teammate Donovan Mitchell has also tested positive.

LeBron James and Stephen Curry have called on the league to cancel the season after a "rough" 2020.

-- NCAA 'March Madness' to also be closed to general public.

&nbsp;

<h2>CYCLING</h2>

-- The spring classic Milan-San Remo, scheduled for March 21, was postponed, having only previously been cancelled three times since the inaugural edition in 1907.

-- The Strade Bianchi, the first big race of the Italian cycling season set for last Saturday, was also cancelled along with the multi-day Tirreno-Adriatico.

-- This month's Tour of Catalonia has been postponed, organisers announced on Thursday.

<h2>TOKYO OLYMPICS</h2>

-- World Athletics Sebastian Coe said the 2020 Tokyo Games will go ahead.

Tokyo city governor Yuriko Koike said cancelling the Olympics is "unthinkable".

The Olympics take place from July 24-August 9.

-- US President Donald Trump suggested the Olympics could be postponed for a year. "I like that better than I like having empty stadiums," he said.

-- Spectators were absent as the Olympic flame was lit in ancient Olympia.

<h2>GOLF</h2>

-- Fans will be banned from attending PGA Tour events unril after next month's Texas Open, commissioner Jay Monahan said Thursday.

-- European Tour chiefs postponed the Maybank Championship in Malaysia and the China Open in Shenzhen -- both set for April.

-- The US LPGA Tour cancelled all three of its lucrative early-season events in Asia, and also its next three events in the United States.

-- The Indian Open in New Delhi, set for March 19-22, was postponed on Wednesday.

<h2>CRICKET</h2>

-- India's IPL which starts on March 29 could be played behind closed doors an official told AFP, with the Indian government later advising it should be stopped.

-- The final two one day internationals between India and South Africa will be held without spectators.

-- Pakistan cricket authorities announced plans to close public access to a series of upcoming domestic league matches in Karachi.

<h2>ATHLETICS</h2>

-- The World Indoor Championships, scheduled for Nanjing from March 13-15, were postponed until next year.

-- The Paris Marathon, scheduled for April 5 with 60,000 registered runners, was postponed until October 18.

-- The Barcelona Marathon, which was scheduled for March 15 with 17,000 runners, was postponed until October.

<h2>ALPINE SKIING</h2>

-- Norway's Aleksander Kilde won alpine skiing's men's World Cup title after the final races of the season at Kranjska Gora at the weekend were scrapped due to the coronavirus threat

-- The World Cup finals, scheduled for Cortina d'Ampezzo in Italy between March 16-22, were cancelled.

-- This weekend's three women's races in Are were scrapped, crowning Federica Brignone as the overall champion.

<h2>FIGURE SKATING</h2>

-- World championships, scheduled for Montreal next week, were cancelled.

<h2>BASEBALL</h2>

-- Japan's domestic baseball season, originally set to open on March 10, was postponed.

<h2>ICE HOCKEY</h2>

-- The NHL commissioner Gary Bettman halted the competition on Thursday three weeks before the scheduled conclusion of the 2019-20 regular season.

-- The Women's World Ice Hockey Championships, set for Halifax and Truro in Nova Scotia for March 31 to April 10,

AFP looks at the effects on sport of the coronavirus, which by Thursday had killed over 4,600 people while infecting more than 127,000 in 115 countries and territories.

AFP looks at the effects on sport of the coronavirus, which by Thursday had killed over 4,600 people while infecting more than 127,000 in 115 countries and territories. FOOTBALL - Arsenal's match at Brighton & Hove Albion was postponed early on Friday after Gunners manager Mikel Arteta tested positive for COVID-19. -- The Premier League announced it was holding an emergency meeting on Friday to discuss the fate of future fixtures. -- Spanish club Real Madrid's players were put in quarantine as La Liga announced Spain's top two divisions will be suspended for at least two weeks. A member of Real's basketball squad tested positive for the virus leading to its senior football team being put in quarantine. -- UEFA will hold a crisis meeting next Tuesday with representatives from all 55 national associations and club and player bodies about Euro 2020 and the ongoing Champions League and Europa League. -- In Italy, the hardest-hit European country with 1,016 deaths from COVID-19, all sporting events including Serie A have been suspended until April 3. -- On Wednesday Juventus defender Daniele Rugani became the first Serie A footballer to test positive with Sampdoria forward Manolo Gabbiadini announcing that he had contracted the virus on Thursday. -- The second leg of Juve's Champions League last 16 tie with Lyon was postponed on Wednesday, as was Manchester City v Real Madrid. -- Barcelona v Napoli and Bayern Munich v Chelsea will be played behind closed doors. -- France's Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 will have no fans for at least the next two weeks. -- Arsenal players have been put in quarantine after coming into contact with the owner of Greek club Olympiakos, who tested positive. -- German Bundesliga teams have begun to close their stadiums to fans, with this weekend's matches set to be played in front of empty stands. -- The Netherlands' Eredivisie has been suspended until March 31. -- Three UEFA Europa League games on Thursday including Manchester United away to LASK Linz had no fans, while the ties between Inter Milan and Getafe and Roma and Sevilla were postponed. -- The Netherlands' friendly against Spain set for March 29 cancelled. The United States has called off friendlies against the Dutch on March 26 and Wales (March 30). -- International friendlies to be played behind closed doors include France v Ukraine and Germany v Italy. -- The start of Japan's J-League was postponed till mid-March while China suspended all domestic football and shelved indefinitely the top-flight Super League season. -- The French League Cup final between Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon has been called off, with no new date yet fixed, as has the Spanish Copa del Rey final between Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao. -- A Euro 2020 warm-up tournament in Qatar featuring Portugal, Belgium, Croatia and Switzerland, has been cancelled. -- South American World Cup qualifiers have been postponed, as was the next round of the Copa Libertadores. -- The FIFA Congress, due to take place in Addis Ababa on June 5, was pushed back to September 18. TENNIS -- The ATP has suspended its tour for six weeks "due to escalating health and safety issues". -- The ATP and WTA Miami Open was called off after Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez declared a state of emergency over the outbreak. -- The prestigious ATP and WTA Indian Wells tournament was cancelled, the first major sports event in the US to be shelved because of the outbreak. -- The inaugural Fed Cup Finals scheduled for next month in Budapest were postponed. RUGBY UNION -- The Six Nations match between Italy and England in Rome on Saturday as well as the Ireland v Italy duel in Dublin on March 7 were postponed. -- Title challengers France's final game against Ireland, also scheduled for Saturday, was also put off until October. -- Sevens World Series tournaments in Hong Kong on April 3-5 and Singapore the following weekend will now be played in October. MOTORSPORT -- Sunday's season-opening Australian Grand Prix was called off early on Friday. -- Bahrain's Formula One Grand Prix on March 20-22 will be held without spectators. -- The Chinese Grand Prix, which was set for April 19 in Shanghai, has been postponed. -- In motorcycling, the season-opening Qatar MotoGP was cancelled, along with the Thailand MotoGP on March 22 (postponed until October 4). On Tuesday the Grand Prix of the Americas at Austin was rescheduled from April to November, while the MotoGP race in Argentina was also put on hold. -- Formula E indefinitely postponed the Rome E-Prix, which was due to be held on April 4. BASKETBALL -- NBA suspended the season after Utah Jazz's Rudy Gobert tested positive for the new coronavirus. ESPN reported that his teammate Donovan Mitchell has also tested positive. LeBron James and Stephen Curry have called on the league to cancel the season after a "rough" 2020. -- NCAA 'March Madness' to also be closed to general public. CYCLING -- The spring classic Milan-San Remo, scheduled for March 21, was postponed, having only previously been cancelled three times since the inaugural edition in 1907. -- The Strade Bianchi, the first big race of the Italian cycling season set for last Saturday, was also cancelled along with the multi-day Tirreno-Adriatico. -- This month's Tour of Catalonia has been postponed, organisers announced on Thursday. TOKYO OLYMPICS -- World Athletics Sebastian Coe said the 2020 Tokyo Games will go ahead. Tokyo city governor Yuriko Koike said cancelling the Olympics is "unthinkable". The Olympics take place from July 24-August 9. -- US President Donald Trump suggested the Olympics could be postponed for a year. "I like that better than I like having empty stadiums," he said. -- Spectators were absent as the Olympic flame was lit in ancient Olympia. GOLF -- Fans will be banned from attending PGA Tour events unril after next month's Texas Open, commissioner Jay Monahan said Thursday. -- European Tour chiefs postponed the Maybank Championship in Malaysia and the China Open in Shenzhen -- both set for April. -- The US LPGA Tour cancelled all three of its lucrative early-season events in Asia, and also its next three events in the United States. -- The Indian Open in New Delhi, set for March 19-22, was postponed on Wednesday. CRICKET -- India's IPL which starts on March 29 could be played behind closed doors an official told AFP, with the Indian government later advising it should be stopped. -- The final two one day internationals between India and South Africa will be held without spectators. -- Pakistan cricket authorities announced plans to close public access to a series of upcoming domestic league matches in Karachi. ATHLETICS -- The World Indoor Championships, scheduled for Nanjing from March 13-15, were postponed until next year. -- The Paris Marathon, scheduled for April 5 with 60,000 registered runners, was postponed until October 18. -- The Barcelona Marathon, which was scheduled for March 15 with 17,000 runners, was postponed until October. ALPINE SKIING -- Norway's Aleksander Kilde won alpine skiing's men's World Cup title after the final races of the season at Kranjska Gora at the weekend were scrapped due to the coronavirus threat -- The World Cup finals, scheduled for Cortina d'Ampezzo in Italy between March 16-22, were cancelled. -- This weekend's three women's races in Are were scrapped, crowning Federica Brignone as the overall champion. FIGURE SKATING -- World championships, scheduled for Montreal next week, were cancelled. BASEBALL -- Japan's domestic baseball season, originally set to open on March 10, was postponed. ICE HOCKEY -- The NHL commissioner Gary Bettman halted the competition on Thursday three weeks before the scheduled conclusion of the 2019-20 regular season. -- The Women's World Ice Hockey Championships, set for Halifax and Truro in Nova Scotia for March 31 to April 10,

How the coronavirus has hit global sport

The collapse of sports events worldwide over the rapidly spreading new coronavirus gathered pace Friday with the English Premier League and European football's showpiece Champions League swept aside by the pandemic.

England's cricket tour of Sri Lanka also fell victim to the virus while suspension of the Premier League until April 4 came shortly after the French Football League announced that all Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 games would be on hold until further notice.

Formula One's Australian Grand Prix and The Players Championship, one of golf's most prestigious events, were among other events scrapped as the virus laid waste to the sporting calendar, with the future of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics looking increasingly in doubt.

The impact of COVID-19, which has killed 5,043 people according to an AFP tally, is accelerating just over four months from the Tokyo Olympics' start on July 24.

Football's Premier League, with a worldwide audience of billions, was put on hold after Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi were confirmed to have the disease.

"Following a meeting of shareholders today, it was unanimously decided to suspend the Premier League with the intention of returning on 4 April, subject to medical advice and conditions at the time," the Premier League said in a statement.

The decision by authorities in England and France to suspended top-flight football means that all Europe's top leagues have ground to a halt apart from Germany where matches have been ordered to be played behind closed doors. Spain's La Liga and Italy's Serie A have already suspended matches.

European football's governing body UEFA took a similar step in announcing that all UEFA Champions League and Europa League matches scheduled to be played next week had been postponed.

The move comes after two of next week's four scheduled Champions League last 16, second legs -- between Manchester City and Real Madrid, and between Juventus and Lyon -- had already been called off.

"In the light of developments due to the spread of COVID-19 in Europe and related decisions made by different governments, all UEFA club competitions matches scheduled next week are postponed," UEFA said&nbsp;in a statement.

Sports across the globe have suffered major disruption because of the virus with the PGA Tour golf season, the men's tennis tour, NBA basketball, Major League Baseball and a host of top-flight events interrupted.

<h2>- Latest victims -</h2>

England's cricketers will be returning from Sri Lanka among the latest victims of the sporting chaos.&nbsp;

Their tour of Sri Lanka was scrapped on Friday as the team took part in a practice match ahead of the first of two Test matches due to start on March 19.

"At this time, the physical and mental wellbeing of our players and support teams is paramount," said an England and Wales Cricket Board statement announcing the end of the tour.

More bad news could come as European football chiefs are to meet next week to consider whether to postpone Euro 2020, due to start in June and this year's other major international sports along with the Olympics.

Tokyo Olympics organisers, Japan's government and the International Olympic Committee have been adamant the Games will go ahead as planned despite the global panic.

But US President Donald Trump became the first foreign leader to break ranks and raise the prospect of delaying the Olympics until 2021.

"Maybe they postpone it for a year," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, 19 weeks before the opening ceremony in Tokyo's Olympic Stadium.

"You know, I like that better than I like having empty stadiums all over the place. I think if you cancel it, make it a year later, that's a better alternative than doing it with no crowd," he said.

Trump's comments came just hours after actresses dressed as ancient Greek priestesses held the ceremonial flame-lighting at a ruined temple in the original Olympia, Greece.

However, Japan's Olympic minister Seiko Hashimoto said: "Neither the IOC nor the organising committee is thinking about delaying or cancelling the Games at all."

Asked about the possibility of scaling back the number of spectators, Hashimoto said: "We are not thinking about that at all."

In Melbourne, drivers were just hours from the first practice session when the season-opening Australian Grand Prix was axed on Friday, after a McLaren team member was diagnosed with COVID-19.

The last-minute cancellation raises fears for other races including next week's Bahrain Grand Prix, which has already barred fans.

The Chinese Grand Prix has been postponed, while the inaugural Formula One race in Vietnam on April 5 is also at risk.

The collapse of sports events worldwide over the rapidly spreading new coronavirus gathered pace Friday with the English Premier League and European football's showpiece Champions League swept aside by the pandemic.

The collapse of sports events worldwide over the rapidly spreading new coronavirus gathered pace Friday with the English Premier League and European football's showpiece Champions League swept aside by the pandemic. England's cricket tour of Sri Lanka also fell victim to the virus while suspension of the Premier League until April 4 came shortly after the French Football League announced that all Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 games would be on hold until further notice. Formula One's Australian Grand Prix and The Players Championship, one of golf's most prestigious events, were among other events scrapped as the virus laid waste to the sporting calendar, with the future of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics looking increasingly in doubt. The impact of COVID-19, which has killed 5,043 people according to an AFP tally, is accelerating just over four months from the Tokyo Olympics' start on July 24. Football's Premier League, with a worldwide audience of billions, was put on hold after Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi were confirmed to have the disease. "Following a meeting of shareholders today, it was unanimously decided to suspend the Premier League with the intention of returning on 4 April, subject to medical advice and conditions at the time," the Premier League said in a statement. The decision by authorities in England and France to suspended top-flight football means that all Europe's top leagues have ground to a halt apart from Germany where matches have been ordered to be played behind closed doors. Spain's La Liga and Italy's Serie A have already suspended matches. European football's governing body UEFA took a similar step in announcing that all UEFA Champions League and Europa League matches scheduled to be played next week had been postponed. The move comes after two of next week's four scheduled Champions League last 16, second legs -- between Manchester City and Real Madrid, and between Juventus and Lyon -- had already been called off. "In the light of developments due to the spread of COVID-19 in Europe and related decisions made by different governments, all UEFA club competitions matches scheduled next week are postponed," UEFA said in a statement. Sports across the globe have suffered major disruption because of the virus with the PGA Tour golf season, the men's tennis tour, NBA basketball, Major League Baseball and a host of top-flight events interrupted. - Latest victims - England's cricketers will be returning from Sri Lanka among the latest victims of the sporting chaos. Their tour of Sri Lanka was scrapped on Friday as the team took part in a practice match ahead of the first of two Test matches due to start on March 19. "At this time, the physical and mental wellbeing of our players and support teams is paramount," said an England and Wales Cricket Board statement announcing the end of the tour. More bad news could come as European football chiefs are to meet next week to consider whether to postpone Euro 2020, due to start in June and this year's other major international sports along with the Olympics. Tokyo Olympics organisers, Japan's government and the International Olympic Committee have been adamant the Games will go ahead as planned despite the global panic. But US President Donald Trump became the first foreign leader to break ranks and raise the prospect of delaying the Olympics until 2021. "Maybe they postpone it for a year," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, 19 weeks before the opening ceremony in Tokyo's Olympic Stadium. "You know, I like that better than I like having empty stadiums all over the place. I think if you cancel it, make it a year later, that's a better alternative than doing it with no crowd," he said. Trump's comments came just hours after actresses dressed as ancient Greek priestesses held the ceremonial flame-lighting at a ruined temple in the original Olympia, Greece. However, Japan's Olympic minister Seiko Hashimoto said: "Neither the IOC nor the organising committee is thinking about delaying or cancelling the Games at all." Asked about the possibility of scaling back the number of spectators, Hashimoto said: "We are not thinking about that at all." In Melbourne, drivers were just hours from the first practice session when the season-opening Australian Grand Prix was axed on Friday, after a McLaren team member was diagnosed with COVID-19. The last-minute cancellation raises fears for other races including next week's Bahrain Grand Prix, which has already barred fans. The Chinese Grand Prix has been postponed, while the inaugural Formula One race in Vietnam on April 5 is also at risk.

Champions League, Premier League swept aside as coronavirus ravages sport

Barcelona save their first leg fixture against Napoli after Antoine Griezmann's vital second-half equaliser at San Paolo Stadium on Tuesday. Scores stand 1-1 after&nbsp;the first leg.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pep-guardiola-warns-barcelona-after-bartomeu-thanks-uefa-for-ban-281776">Pep Guardiola warns Barcelona after Bartomeu thanks UEFA for ban</a>

A stunning curling strike by Napoli's Dries Mertens put the hosts (Napoli) in front in the 31st minute. The Belgian has drawn level with Marek Hamsik as Napoli's all-time top scorer with 121 goals.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/barcelona-use-la-liga-rule-to-sign-martin-braithwaite-281899">Barcelona use La Liga rule to sign Martin Braithwaite</a>

Sergio Busquets and Arturo Vidal will be missing out the second leg in the Round of 16 at Camp Nou.&nbsp;

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This Messi turn = Skill of the Day 👌 
⁣<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UCLSOTD?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UCLSOTD</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/Mastercard?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Mastercard</a> <a href="https://t.co/3zt3cQrAam">pic.twitter.com/3zt3cQrAam</a>
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChampionsLeague/status/1232443992760967168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Busquests was booked for a foul on Dries Mertens in the 49th minute. This Yellow card means that Busquets will miss out the home fixture in the Round of 16.&nbsp;

Arturo Vidal picked up two yellow cards in the final stages of the game and was sent off after a foul on Mario Rui.&nbsp;

Nelson Semedo was at the risk of being suspended but saw his way through the match and will be playing the second leg fixture.&nbsp;

Barcelona and Napoli will head into the final leg of the Round of 16 with Barca's away goal advantage.&nbsp;

Barca's only concern at this moment is missing out on top players either due to suspension or injuries.&nbsp;

Barcelona will be concerned with Gerard Pique's availability after he limped off with an injury after falling heavily on his ankle.

"We'll see what problem he has, then we can confirm if he'll be available," said Barcelona coach Quique Setien.

Barcelona save their first leg fixture against Napoli after Antoine Griezmann's vital second-half equaliser at San Paolo Stadium on Tuesday. Scores stand 1-1 after the first leg.

Barcelona save their first leg fixture against Napoli after Antoine Griezmann's vital second-half equaliser at San Paolo Stadium on Tuesday. Scores stand 1-1 after the first leg. Also read: Pep Guardiola warns Barcelona after Bartomeu thanks UEFA for ban A stunning curling strike by Napoli's Dries Mertens put the hosts (Napoli) in front in the 31st minute. The Belgian has drawn level with Marek Hamsik as Napoli's all-time top scorer with 121 goals. Also read: Barcelona use La Liga rule to sign Martin Braithwaite Sergio Busquets and Arturo Vidal will be missing out the second leg in the Round of 16 at Camp Nou. This Messi turn = Skill of the Day 👌 ⁣#UCLSOTD | @Mastercard pic.twitter.com/3zt3cQrAam — UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) February 25, 2020 × Busquests was booked for a foul on Dries Mertens in the 49th minute. This Yellow card means that Busquets will miss out the home fixture in the Round of 16. Arturo Vidal picked up two yellow cards in the final stages of the game and was sent off after a foul on Mario Rui. Nelson Semedo was at the risk of being suspended but saw his way through the match and will be playing the second leg fixture. Barcelona and Napoli will head into the final leg of the Round of 16 with Barca's away goal advantage. Barca's only concern at this moment is missing out on top players either due to suspension or injuries. Barcelona will be concerned with Gerard Pique's availability after he limped off with an injury after falling heavily on his ankle. "We'll see what problem he has, then we can confirm if he'll be available," said Barcelona coach Quique Setien.

Champions League: 10-men Barcelona see their way out against Napoli

Manchester City will be up against both Real Madrid and their reputation on Wednesday as the Champions League's biggest winners play one of its biggest underachievers at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/premier-league-empty-etihad-stadium-witnesses-first-manchester-city-win-after-uefa-ban-281761">Premier League: 'Empty' Etihad Stadium witnesses first Manchester City win after UEFA ban</a>

After City's win over Leicester on Saturday, Pep Guardiola said: "We will try to be ourselves. We can win and we can lose but we must try to be ourselves."&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pep-guardiola-warns-barcelona-after-bartomeu-thanks-uefa-for-ban-281776" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/pep-guardiola-warns-barcelona-after-bartomeu-thanks-uefa-for-ban-281776&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj63YTa4evnAhWCxzgGHcxnBd04FBAWMAF6BAgGEAI&amp;usg=AOvVaw0g9DIodXfqnE2BIBrnaXBA" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pep-guardiola-warns-barcelona-after-bartomeu-thanks-uefa-for-ban-281776" target="_blank">Pep Guardiola warns Barcelona after Bartomeu thanks UEFA for ban</a>

Yet in some ways, City will seek a role reversal too. Madrid's record is the envy of Europe but in particular by teams like City, whose financial might and technical talent has translated only into disappointment outside domestic competition.&nbsp;

In the time City have won three Premier League titles and five domestic cups, they have gone past the Champions League's quarter-finals only once, reaching the last four in 2016, only to be beaten by Madrid.&nbsp;

Zinedine Zidane's side, meanwhile, have surrendered dominance in La Liga to Barcelona but made amends for one Spanish league title in seven years by winning an four Champions Leagues out of the last six.&nbsp;

Few would argue that quality explains the difference. Madrid's success has certainly been due in part to the brilliance of Cristiano Ronaldo but City have perhaps boasted an even better all-round collection of players and their excellence in England points to a club well-equipped to excel in Europe.&nbsp;

Guardiola has been accused of over-thinking against elite opposition too yet City's lethargy encompasses nine seasons in the Champions League and Guardiola has only been in charge for three.&nbsp;

Instead, Madrid's habit for coming through the kind of crunch games that have so often proved City's undoing suggests each club's identification with the Champions League has become something of a self-fulfilling prophecy.&nbsp;

Madrid believe this tournament is their tournament, a conviction based on historic success that makes them assured under pressure and ruthless in the decisive moments.&nbsp;

"When you have a history of the (Alfredo) Di Stefano period, winning five or six European Cups at that time, it means a new player that comes to Real Madrid and puts on that shirt knows 'we have to defend our history'," said Guardiola. "That gives them a boost because they live that history."&nbsp;

When Madrid last won the Champions League by beating&nbsp;Liverpool&nbsp;in the final in 2018, their advance to the trophy seemed to rely on a number of crucial interventions falling their way.&nbsp;

In the semi-final against Bayern Munich, they progressed after an error from Bayern's goalkeeper Sven Ulreich. In the quarters, they were awarded a fortuitous 97th-minute penalty to beat Juventus. Even in the last 16, they faced a Paris Saint-Germain side without the injured Neymar.&nbsp;

Yet where some saw luck, Madrid's coach and their players saw a refusal to give in.&nbsp;

"The point is Madrid never give up," said Zidane after their last-gasp triumph over Juventus. "We came up against a number of obstacles but we believe in the goals we want to achieve and we achieve them because we fight."&nbsp;

For City, that refusal to accept defeat is still to be established and with every year that victory evades them, doubts grow too.&nbsp;

"It's a real, real test," said Guardiola. "The king of this competition against a team who are not used to playing this kind of game much, because our best performance was one semi-final in our history.&nbsp;

"So, in a marvellous stadium we have to show our personalty."&nbsp;

Personality to Guardiola means a certain style as well as attitude but to Madrid, the objective is more straight-forward.&nbsp;

"At Real Madrid, every season, you have to go for everything and win everything," said Zidane last summer. "And more importantly, we believe we can do it."&nbsp;

Manchester City will be up against both Real Madrid and their reputation on Wednesday as the Champions League's biggest winners play one of its biggest underachievers at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Manchester City will be up against both Real Madrid and their reputation on Wednesday as the Champions League's biggest winners play one of its biggest underachievers at the Santiago Bernabeu. Also read: Premier League: 'Empty' Etihad Stadium witnesses first Manchester City win after UEFA ban After City's win over Leicester on Saturday, Pep Guardiola said: "We will try to be ourselves. We can win and we can lose but we must try to be ourselves." Also read: Pep Guardiola warns Barcelona after Bartomeu thanks UEFA for ban Yet in some ways, City will seek a role reversal too. Madrid's record is the envy of Europe but in particular by teams like City, whose financial might and technical talent has translated only into disappointment outside domestic competition. In the time City have won three Premier League titles and five domestic cups, they have gone past the Champions League's quarter-finals only once, reaching the last four in 2016, only to be beaten by Madrid. Zinedine Zidane's side, meanwhile, have surrendered dominance in La Liga to Barcelona but made amends for one Spanish league title in seven years by winning an four Champions Leagues out of the last six. Few would argue that quality explains the difference. Madrid's success has certainly been due in part to the brilliance of Cristiano Ronaldo but City have perhaps boasted an even better all-round collection of players and their excellence in England points to a club well-equipped to excel in Europe. Guardiola has been accused of over-thinking against elite opposition too yet City's lethargy encompasses nine seasons in the Champions League and Guardiola has only been in charge for three. Instead, Madrid's habit for coming through the kind of crunch games that have so often proved City's undoing suggests each club's identification with the Champions League has become something of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Madrid believe this tournament is their tournament, a conviction based on historic success that makes them assured under pressure and ruthless in the decisive moments. "When you have a history of the (Alfredo) Di Stefano period, winning five or six European Cups at that time, it means a new player that comes to Real Madrid and puts on that shirt knows 'we have to defend our history'," said Guardiola. "That gives them a boost because they live that history." When Madrid last won the Champions League by beating Liverpool in the final in 2018, their advance to the trophy seemed to rely on a number of crucial interventions falling their way. In the semi-final against Bayern Munich, they progressed after an error from Bayern's goalkeeper Sven Ulreich. In the quarters, they were awarded a fortuitous 97th-minute penalty to beat Juventus. Even in the last 16, they faced a Paris Saint-Germain side without the injured Neymar. Yet where some saw luck, Madrid's coach and their players saw a refusal to give in. "The point is Madrid never give up," said Zidane after their last-gasp triumph over Juventus. "We came up against a number of obstacles but we believe in the goals we want to achieve and we achieve them because we fight." For City, that refusal to accept defeat is still to be established and with every year that victory evades them, doubts grow too. "It's a real, real test," said Guardiola. "The king of this competition against a team who are not used to playing this kind of game much, because our best performance was one semi-final in our history. "So, in a marvellous stadium we have to show our personalty." Personality to Guardiola means a certain style as well as attitude but to Madrid, the objective is more straight-forward. "At Real Madrid, every season, you have to go for everything and win everything," said Zidane last summer. "And more importantly, we believe we can do it."

Manchester City target role reversal against Champions League kings Real Madrid

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