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UEFA is prepared to offer some flexibility as the deadline to confirm plans to restart and complete domestic competitions looms amid the coronavirus pandemic.
European football’s governing body had instructed all national associations to submit firm dates for the completion of leagues, or an alternate format, no later than May 25. If restart was not possible, then UEFA requested that associations decide the method for selecting clubs for next season’s Champions League and Europa League on the basis of sporting merit.
With UEFA setting a deadline of Aug. 2 for domestic leagues to finish, before using the rest of the month to complete the knockout rounds of the Champions League and Europa League, time is running out for associations to agree a structure with governments that can be given to UEFA.
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Now UEFA is prepared to accept outline plans from national associations, which may be subject to change if the situation with the coronavirus changes.
“UEFA would like as much as possible to receive such information by 25 May but we understand that detailed plans might not be fully available by then due to a variety of external contraints,” UEFA said in a statement. “UEFA would nevertheless expect to at least receive some indications as to the potential way forward envisaged by national associations and leagues by that date.”
Football has ground to a halt in all major leagues in Europe and none have yet resumed, and while the Bundesliga is set to become the first this weekend no other major league has plans to return before next month at the earliest.
The Premier League hopes to be back on the pitch on June 12, but it has still not agreed protocols or a date for a return to team training which could delay the restart. La Liga is working to the same start date but still must navigate many obstacles to get agreement from Spanish authorities.
Serie A has set a date of June 13, but had to agree to quarantine a whole squad for 15 days if just one player or member of staff tests positive for coronavirus.