UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has said that this season’s Champions League and Europa League could be abandoned, if the games cannot be completed by September.
The coronavirus pandemic has led to the suspension of football across Europe and Belarus remains the only country which has not placed any restriction on their domestic leagues.
Speaking to German broadcaster ZDF (h/t The Mail), Ceferin said that UEFA are waiting for an improvement on the current situation and there are no plans of restarting the European campaign anytime soon.
He added that any resumption would see the games being played behind closed doors in July or August but there is the possibility of the season being abandoned, if coronavirus restrictions remain in September.
“We are waiting for the development of this terrible situation in the world, and mainly in Europe. Football isn’t the same without fans … it is definitely better to play with fans than without fans,” he told.
“It is still better to play the game behind closed doors and have it on TV. That’s what the people want, that brings positive energy, and it will be July or August. We can’t play it out in September or October.
“If the authorities do not allow us to play, then we cannot play.”
Premier League duo Manchester City and Chelsea are still competing in the Champions League and they are yet to play the second leg of their round of 16 clash.
Manchester United and Wolves are in a similar kind of situation in the Europa League and they will be hoping that their European campaign does not reach an abrupt end.
Meanwhile, UEFA are considering the option of postponing the Financial Fair Play for a year, given clubs are currently experiencing heavy losses with the ongoing shutdown due to the COVID-19 threat.
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