UEFA plan to finish the presently-halted 2019/20 season by August which includes the Champions League and Europa League campaigns, as said by the organisation's president Aleksander Ceferin.
The coronavirus pandemic has halted all football leagues across the globe since March. But while Bundesliga resumed action from Saturday onwards, others are gearing up for a return. And French and Dutch top-flight campaigns have been cancelled. Ceferin reckons that 80 per cent of national leagues will be able to wrap up their seasons.
“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,” Ceferin told beIN Sports.
“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.”
Talking about Champions Legue, Paris Saint-Germain, who wefre recently declared the Ligue 1 champions, have been asked to organise their Champions League games at nuetral venues after the French givernemnet confirmed earlier this month about no sporting activities until 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.”
Meanwhile, Euro 2020 has already been postponed to next year.
“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."
