CHAMPIONS LEAGUE PLAN FOR LISBON

THE Champions League could be decided this season in a ‘Final 8’ World Cup-style in Lisbon.

UEFA are due to meet on June 17 to decide how to finish both that competition and the Europa League tournament after the Covid-19 crisis brought football to a halt.

Both are due to restart in the first week of August, after domestic league and cups are completed.

Originally Europe’s blue riband competition (reigning champions Liverpool, above) was due to end with a final in Istanbul, with the Europa League finishing in Gdansk.

But Istanbul are set to withdraw for financial reasons – and the plan, which will be voted on when UEFA meet, is for the Champions League to be completed in a behind closed doors mini-tournament, possibly over 10 days with quarter-finals, semi-finals and then the final on August 29.

There were four remaining round of 16 games to complete before the coronavirus outbreak and it is yet to be decided how they will be resolved.

The two stadiums used for the tournament would be Benfica’s home of the Estadio da Luz, where the Nations League final was played, and Sporting Lisbon’s Jose Alvalade ground.

Some clubs, though, are pushing for the final to be bought forward to August 22, to allow greater time for a pre-season break before the next campaign starts.

Munich and Madrid are also on the table as possible venues for the tournament but Lisbon is the favourite.

The Europa League could also become a one-city tournament but earlier than the Champions League.

When football was halted, the Europa League round of 16 had only just begun, with six of the eight first legs played. The remaining Women’s Champions League games would be staged in Vienna, with the Final taking place in either the last week of August or the first week of September.