WINDOW PAIN
Countries need stars for qualifiers… so clubs must release them in pre-season
THE pre- season plans of Premier League managers were left in tatters yesterday after UEFA confirmed that international football will return in September.
The international calendar has been ravaged by the Covid- 19 crisis, but European football’s governing body have revealed that national team games will return from September 3-8 for the start of UEFA Nations League qualifying.
But the news was met with anger by topflight clubs yesterday amid grave concerns that the international window will wreck their plans for next season.
The start of the 2020-21 campaign has been pencilled in for the second week of September — though a date is not set in stone — so clubs have to release their players during a crucial period of pre-season.
The news has also raised major burn-out fears, particularly for Manchester City, Manchester United and Wolves, whose seasons could extend to the end of August due to their participation in European competition. The fact that players will not have a full rest at the end of next season due to the delayed European Championship — moved to next year — has added to fatigue concerns. Sportsmail revealed on Tuesday how England’s top- flight teams are opposed to the idea of reintroducing international football in September. Even as late as yesterday morning, there was hope the September dates could be avoided.
But managers are facing the frustrating prospect of being without players only days before the start of the new season.
Managers and coaches like to use the final two weeks of pre-season to fine-tune their players ahead of the big kick-off.
The Premier League — on behalf of their clubs — will discuss the matter with the Football Association in hope of minimising the impact caused by a September break.
Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham said: ‘Clearly we want to work with the clubs and the leagues. But our starting point is that the international windows are where they are. They are important for us, important for the country and important for the players.’
Meanwhile, UEFA have confirmed this season’s Champions League will conclude with a mini-tournament in Lisbon over 12 days — with the final on August 23.
Once the four outstanding last-16 ties, due to be played on August 7 and 8, are completed, the quarter-finals onward will be held in the Portuguese capital, most likely behind closed doors and over one leg. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has not totally given up hope of fans attending matches, saying: ‘We don’t know if only the local fans, if no fans, or even the fans from different clubs could travel to the venue.’
As it stands, the remaining last-16 games, including City’s second leg against Real Madrid, will be played as normal at home grounds. But UEFA may move matches to either Porto or Guimaraes in Portugal — a prospect that will certainly infuriate City.
Istanbul, which was supposed to host this year’s final, will be 2021’s showpiece venue. St Petersburg will host the 2022 final and Munich the following year, with Wembley confirmed as the venue for 2024. Once the remaining last-16 Europa League ties are completed, the quarter-finals onwards will be played in Germany — in Cologne, Duisburg, Dusseldorf and Gelsenkirchen — over 11 days, with a Cologne final on August 21.
The UEFA Super Cup, which was originally due to be hosted by Porto, will now be played in Budapest on September 24. Finally, the 12 original venues for Euro 2020 have been confirmed. The tournament will run from June 11 to July 11, 2021.