UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin walks past a sign with the UEFA logo after attending a press conference following a meeting of the executive committee at the UEFA headquarters, in Nyon, Switzerland on December 4, 2019. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP) (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)

UEFA to abandon Champions League and Europa League if not played before September

Lee Hurley

Apr 6, 2020

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has said that the 19/20 Champions League and Europa League could be abandoned if there is no way to play it before the end of August.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin speaks during the 44th Ordinary UEFA Congress , in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on March 3, 2020. (Photo by Robin VAN LONKHUIJSEN / ANP / AFP) / Netherlands OUT (Photo by ROBIN VAN LONKHUIJSEN/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)

“We can’t play it in September or October,” Ceferin said. He was then asked if the competitions could be abandoned and he replied: “If the authorities do not allow us to play, then we cannot play.

“It is still better to play behind closed doors and have it on TV. That’s what the people want, and it would be July or August.”

200406 daily mail euefa to abandon cl el — Daily Mail, 6 April 2020

With there being no sign of a let-up in restrictions due to the current global situation, there is still no real clue how leagues and associations are going to handle the mess it has caused across the game globally.

Behind-closed-doors games still requires the involvement of far too many people unless they have all been tested and may not be the answer, even by the time the end of the summer rolls around.

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