Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Football London
Football London
Sport
Alan Smith

The UEFA Champions League plan that will affect Chelsea this summer

This season's Champions League final will be relocated from Istanbul, with Uefa set to lay out new plans for completing the competition following a meeting of their executive committee in mid-June.

While Tottenham Hotspur are already out having been comprehensively beaten by RB Leipzig in the round of 16, Chelsea are clinging on to a glimmer of hope as they trail Bayern Munich 3-0 following the first leg of their tie.

The final was meant to take place tomorrow night but, according to the New York Times, the rescheduled showpiece will not be at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium.

Explained: What is 'contact training' as Premier League agrees to phase two of training restart

Turkey has been especially badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic and talks over an alternative location are in progress, with Lisbon and a number of German cities being considered.

The Europa League final, which was planned for Gdansk in Poland, may also be held elsewhere.

One idea with plenty of support among decision-makers is that the remainder of both competitions is packed into one a period in a neutral location, similar to last summer's Nations League finals, likely in the first half of August.

There remains concerns over international travel and restricting the remaining fixtures to one area would overcome a number of logistical issues.

Much like the Premier League's determination to complete the season, Uefa would face a damagingly expensive rebate to TV companies should the competition be voided.

That would have grave consequences for clubs across Europe who are reliant on prize money, with participants from the continent's lesser leagues set to be hit most.

A Uefa statement read: "A working group has been set up with the participation of representatives from the leagues and clubs to examine calendar solutions and format options that would allow for the completion of the current season.

"A variety of options are being looked at and no decisions have been made at this stage."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.