UEFA reportedly came up with a plan to resume the Champions League and Europa League, two main European club competitions. According to ESPN, both competitions could wrap up as “mini-tournaments” held over two weeks on one location.
The standard format of away and home games present in European club competitions isn’t considered a viable option anymore due to restrictions caused by the coronavirus. This is why UEFA came up with a plan to have a centralized competition, described by BILD as a “World Cup-style” tournament in order to crown a champion. The competitions would resume from round-of-16, with later stages assuming knock-out format.
This year’s UEFA Champions League finale was set to take place in Istanbul, but the city reportedly isn’t in consideration due to restrictions imposed by the Turkish government. Instead, Lisbon, Frankfurt, and Moscow emerged as the main options to host the tournament.
Lisbon is viewed as a favorite among the three cities, as it offers two stadiums and complexes in Benfica’s Estadio da Luz and Sporting CP’s Estadio Jose Alvalade. The stadiums are also just a few miles within each other, giving UEFA more scheduling options.
The Eintracht Frankfurt’s Commerzbank Arena in Germany is also an appealing option for UEFA, due to travel benefits and the stadium’s high-end facilities.
The final decisions about the Champions League and Europa League will most likely be made in late June when all other details should be revealed.
