Uefa planning for Champions League and Europa League campaigns to 'finish in August'

Uefa chief Aleksander Ceferin has also given an update on the rescheduled European Championship
Update: Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin
AFP via Getty Images
George Flood17 May 2020

Uefa are confident that the Champions League and Europa League competitions can be finished in August.

The 2019-20 editions of European football's premier club competitions have been suspended indefinitely since March due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

That was similarly the case for almost all domestic action across the continent, though the Bundesliga's return this weekend has offered a potential template to other countries regarding how to resume competition safely.

Clubs in Serie A and LaLiga are set to resume group training this week, while Premier League outfits are poised to vote on safety protocols over a return to group sessions as part of 'Project Restart' on Monday.

The 2019-20 seasons have already been curtailed in countries such as France, the Netherlands and Belgium.

Speaking to Bein Sports, Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin said he is confident that most leagues will complete their fixtues and confirmed that Uefa are planning for the European season to conclude in August.

"We have an idea but we have to wait for the executive committee of UEFA to confirm the dates. I can say that the European season will be finished, if everything is as it is now, in August," he said.

"As things look now, I'm sure... that we can finish the European season and this means UEFA competition. I think the majority of leagues will finish the season.

"The ones who will not, it's their decision. But they will still have to play qualifiers if they want to participate in the European UEFA competition."

Both the Champions League and Europa League are yet to complete their last-16 matches.

Paris Saint-Germain, who were declared Ligue 1 champions last month following the cancellation of the Ligue 1 season, are looking to play their Champions League games abroad after the French government said professional sports would not be allowed to return before September.

"Paris St Germain and Lyon... will have to organise (matches) in France," Ceferin added. "If this is not possible, (they) will have to organise it at a neutral ground.

"If you cannot play in your country, then you have to organise it at a neutral ground... I don't see the reason why French authorities would not allow them to organise a match without spectators, but let's see. It's out of my power."

The 2020 European Championship, scheduled to be hosted in 12 cities across Europe in June and July, has been postponed until next year.

In Pictures | PSG vs Borussia Dortmund | 11/03/2020

1/32

Ceferin revealed that there were issues with three of the host cities with regards to the 2021 tournament, with Uefa willing to reduce that number if necessary.

"We've had conversations with nine cities and everything is set," Ceferin said.

"With three cities, we have some issues. So we will discuss further. In principle, we will do it in 12 cities but if not, we are ready to do it in 10, nine or eight."

Additional reporting by Reuters.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in