UEFA is set to discuss to proposals in regards with how they can wrap up the 2019/20 Champions League and Europa League season. The campaign has been put on hold, as well as Europe’s top-flight competitions bar the Belarusian Premier League, due to the COVID-19 pandemic but the continent’s organizing body still plan on wrapping things up at a later date.
Two options are said to be on the table for UEFA that depend heavily on how the domestic leagues pan out. European football’s governing body has given priority to the top-flight leagues and should they be able to resume in June, then Champions League and Europa League football can be held simultaneously with the domestic leagues. However, if the likes of the Premier League, Serie A, La Liga, and Ligue 1 are delayed further than that, then European football will be forced to wait until those competitions wrap up so as to avoid crowded fixtures list.
Additionally, the format for the quarter-finals and semi-finals could be changed to accommodate. For example, the last eight and the last four could be staged as normal or could be one-off matches – not the two-legged affair they currently are – emulating a one-week mini tournament. As for the final, it could be held on August 29 for the Champions League and August 26 for the Europa League. This would be three after the initial schedule but the venues would remain the same.
It goes without saying the aforementioned plans depend on the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and whether it will be deemed safe to resume football in the near future. Leagues, clubs, and broadcasters are in financial free-fall, losing millions as time goes by – hence their desire to return to action. However, this will only take place if COVID-19 is reined in.
