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UEFA will discuss the postponement of Euro 2020 and potential cancellation of this season’s Champions League and Europa League during an emergency video conference involving all 55 European football associations next Tuesday, sources have told ESPN.
With the spread of the coronavirus beginning to decimate the global sporting calendar, European football has already seen the postponement of several Champions League and Europa League fixtures, plus the temporary shutdown of domestic leagues in Italy and Spain.
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The coronavirus crisis has led to Euro 2020 and both of UEFA’S major club competitions being placed in serious doubt, and UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has summoned next week’s conference — to be staged over video to avoid unnecessary travel — in order for the member associations to attempt to address the growing question marks over European football.
A UEFA statement said: “In the light of the ongoing developments in the spread of Covid-19 across Europe and the changing analysis of the World Health Organisation, UEFA has today invited representatives of its 55 member associations, together with the boards of the European Club Association and the European Leagues and a representative of FIFPro, to attend meetings by video conference on Tuesday 17 March to discuss European football’s response to the outbreak.
“Discussions will include all domestic and European competitions, including UEFA EURO 2020.”
While it has been reported that Euro 2020 will be cancelled and moved to next summer, sources have told ESPN that no decision has yet been made on the tournament, with that due to be one of the key issues on the agenda next Tuesday.
The scheduling of the first 24-team FIFA Club World Cup in China next summer, plus the UEFA Women’s European Championship in 2021 — set to take place in England — provide logistical obstacles which must be overcome if Euro 2020 is to be delayed by 12 months.
And if the tournament is to go ahead as planned this summer, UEFA must find a way to accommodate the planned playoffs for the four remaining qualification spots, with the playoff games scheduled for March 27 and March 31 already affected by the coronavirus.
Options including staging a reduced European Championship, or delaying the playoffs until the end of this season, will be discussed by the national associations next Tuesday.
UEFA must also decide whether to commit to completing the Champions League and Europa League. Both competitions could be suspended, cancelled or fixtures staged over one leg, potentially at a neutral venue.
Sources have told ESPN that all options are on the table and that “everybody will have to give something up” to ensure that there is a satisfactory and workable outcome.