UEFA Suspends Champions League, Europa League “Until Further Notice”

UEFA on Wednesday suspended all Champions League and Europa League matches “until further notice” due to the coronavirus pandemic.
European football governing body also said all national team games scheduled for June have been postponed, including playoff matches for Euro 2020, which has been moved to 2021.
The finals of Europe’s elite Champions League competition, second-tier Europa League and Women’s Champions League, all of which were scheduled for May, had already been postponed.
Premier League clubs Manchester City and Chelsea are both still in the Champions League, while Manchester United, Wolves and Scottish Premiership side Rangers are all in the Europa League.
Wednesday’s video conference call of UEFA’s 55 member associations included a broad-ranging discussion on the crisis and what options might face the game in the coming weeks.
While most leagues in Europe hope to finish their domestic seasons once restrictions on movement and social contact are lifted, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said last week the season could be lost if play does not start by the end of June.
“If we don’t succeed in restarting, the season will probably be lost,” the Slovenian said.

He told Italian newspaper La Repubblica: “There is a plan A, B and C.

“The three options are to start again in mid-May, in June or at the end of June.

“There is also the possibility of starting again at the beginning of the next [season], starting the following one later. We will see the best solution for leagues and clubs.”

Ceferin says that playing remaining games behind closed doors would have to be an option across Europe.

“It’s hard for me to imagine all the matches behind closed doors, but we still don’t know whether we’ll resume, with or without spectators,” he said.

“If there was no alternative, it would be better to finish the championships.”

One possibility on the table at UEFA, in case of a long delay into the summer, is to complete the Champions League and Europa League with a mini-tournament, such as a ‘final four’.

UEFA’s executive committee also decided to give clubs more time to complete the club licensing paperwork for next season and suspended the provisions that demand clubs provide future financial information.