Following the decision to postpone the Euro 2020 for next year due to the coronavirus outbreak, UEFA said on Tuesday that the adjustment is seen to ensure that all domestic competitions in Europe will be completed by the end of June. The governing body also moved the Champions League and Europa League finals in the same month.
Originally, the UCL Finals showdown was set for May 30 in Istanbul but with the spread of the COVID-19 forcing leagues across the Old Continent to be suspended, UEFA has been forced to delay in light of the games stoppages decided by the Premier League, Serie A, and other top-flight domestic competitions in the region.
According to Fox Sports, the Champions League finals at least will be held no later than June 27, which is a schedule directly connected with the plan to conclude all local games in Europe by June 30. It is understood that the targeted date is in line with the consideration that players' contracts and transfer deals are tied up with the momentous day.
In order to cut short the current competition for both the Champions League and the Europa League, UEFA will likely propose that matches be played in one-off knockout showdowns that will reduce the competing clubs to a final four.
These four teams will then compete in a specific location and quick turnaround, meaning the UCL semi-final and final games will be held on the same day.
According to Bleacher Report, clubs will be afforded some form of flexibility by advising that local games to be scheduled during the weekend. The European games will then take place during the weekends, indicating that UEFA is looking to fast-track the completion of all competitions while allowing for football business to continue with minimal disruptions.
This was the chief reason why the Euro 2020 has been rescheduled for next year to give room for the different domestic leagues in the region to make the adjustments that will see the completion of their respective campaigns.
Citing a UEFA representative, the report said: "A working group has been set up with the participation of leagues and club representatives to examine calendar solutions that would allow for the completion of the current season and any other consequence of the decisions made today."
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said stopping the competitions was the immediate solution seen for European football to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.
"We think postponing the Euros was the only way to give a chance to all the national leagues and all the club competitions to finish their competitions. That is not sure for now but we should now think about the health of the fans and the players," Ceferin was reported as saying.
In England, the Mirror said Premier League officials have set a meeting on Thursday to discuss the recommendations from UEFA and to determine the best step to make.
