Champions League and Europa League to return in August in 'final eight' format
Champions League and Europa League to return in August in 'final eight' format
|Getty
After a meeting held on Wednesday, UEFA have confirmed that the Champions League and the Europa League will return to action in August but in a brand new format to cope with the break. The competitions had to be postponed over the coronavirus with the location for both finals also shifted.
The outbreak of the coronavirus saw both the Champions League and the Europa League postponed with no return date in mind. That saw fans, critics and clubs alike concerned over the future of the competitions but with the Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A and the Premier League on the road to a restart, things changed for the UEFA competitions as well. Reports indicated that both the tournaments would be played with it reportedly set to start in August although in different locations than originally planned.
That has now been confirmed with the Champions League quarter-finals, semi-finals and final set to be played as a single-match straight knockout tournament in Lisbon between the 12th and the 23rd of August. The Guardian has reported that the games will be split between Sporting Lisbon’s home ground, the Estadio Jose Alvaldae, and Benfica’s Estadio da Luz. However, the remaining last of 16 games in the Champions League have been scheduled for 7th and 8th August although the locations haven’t been confirmed as of yet.
The Europa League on the other hand will have the same format as the Champions League with the tournament taking place between the 10th and the 21st of August in Germany. The final will be held in Cologne with two last of 16 games, Inter Milan vs Getafe and Sevilla vs Roma, played as single leg at a venue yet to be confirmed. The report also added that the UEFA Super Cup will take place in Budapest on September 24th.
“I am delighted that we are able to resume almost all of our competitions. I am confident that we will not have to endure the fans' absence for long and that they will be allowed into stadiums sooner rather than later. UEFA took a bold decision when it decided to postpone Euro 2020,” Ceferin said, reported ESPN.
“But in doing so, we created the space which has allowed domestic club competitions across the continent to resume, where possible, and play to a conclusion. While the game has suffered huge difficulties as a result of the pandemic, those blows would have landed much harder if we had not shown leadership in those early days."
âš˝ UEFA club competitions will resume in August.
— UEFA (@UEFA) June 17, 2020
The #UEFAExCo met today to finalise plans for restarting the #UCL, #UCL, #UWCL and #UYL.
All the news in one place: 👇
