UEFA could complete this season’s Champions League and Europa League competitions during one three-week block in August.
According to a report by the Mirror, that is the idea that has been discussed in the corridors of power as Europe’s football governing body look to come up with a solution to conclude this season’s European club competitions, which are currently on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Recently, UEFA confirmed that both competitions had been suspended indefinitely while the COVID-19 crisis continues to rumble on.
That means that the English clubs still involved in European competition - Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers - have been forced to play a waiting game, with the future of their respective Champions League and Europa League campaigns still in jeopardy.
The latest solution involves several assumptions. First, the hope is that the Premier League and other European leagues will be back up and running by mid-June, leaving six weeks for those remaining match-days to be completed.
Should that happen, the clubs still involved in European club competitions will then battle it out during a three-week period in August.
This plan could run the risk of cutting into the following season’s fixtures but, as there are four Premier League clubs still in Europe, they would potentially miss only three games before September’s international break.
That situation would be manageable for UEFA whose president Aleksander Ceferin has already ruled out postponing the Champions League and Europa League into September and beyond.
Ceferin, too, is even prepared to play matches behind-closed-doors in a bid to ‘bring positivity back into people’s lives.’
However, of equally pressing need is for UEFA to finish off the season and ensure their commitments for the broadcasters are completed.
