This archive report was first published on 16 June 2020.
As football returns to Europe after a long suspension, UEFA is facing a crucial decision on the format of the Champions League. The governing body is set to announce the format for the latter stages of the competition at a key meeting on Wednesday.
The Champions League was frozen in mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the last-16 stage left incomplete. Initially, UEFA had hoped to finish the competition by the end of June, but it soon became clear that such an outcome was overly optimistic.
With the pandemic still raging in Europe, UEFA has been working on a way to complete the season in August. The Executive Committee meeting, to be held by videoconference, is set to approve the idea of a 'Final Eight' in Lisbon, as widely reported by media across Europe.
This would involve playing out the four remaining last-16, second legs before bringing together all the quarter-finalists in Portugal's capital for a series of one-off games to crown the European champions. According to reports, the final would be on August 23.
UEFA's announcements will have a knock-on effect on when next season can start around Europe. Everything could be derailed by a second wave of coronavirus infections.
On the same day, UEFA will also discuss the future of the postponed Euro 2020, which could eventually go ahead in a reduced number of cities. The pan-continental tournament has been postponed by a year and could be staged in a 'Final Eight' format, similar to the Champions League.
UEFA's president, Aleksander Ceferin, recently hinted that the number of host cities could be reduced. In an interview with beIN Sports, he admitted to having 'some issues' with three unnamed cities.
That could leave some hosts less than happy, making this week's meeting a potentially delicate diplomatic operation for UEFA to go along with all the logistical challenges.
