TheNewsGuru

Tag: UEFA

  • UEFA gives conditions for Champions League spot

    UEFA has stated that qualification for its club competitions next season must be done on “sporting merit”, while reaffirming its belief that the 2019-20 season should be played to a complete finish where possible.

    The football season has been postponed across the majority of Europe due to the coronavirus outbreak, with the Champions League and Europa League on hold and all major domestic leagues being suspended, or in some cases, abandoned.

    The Belgian Pro League was the first to be called off early, while Scottish lower league clubs recently voted to end their seasons and the Dutch Eredivisie is set to be abandoned after all football in the country was banned until September 1.

    The UEFA executive committee met in a video conference on Thursday to discuss how the league seasons could be ended, and also how qualification for the 2020-21 Champions League and Europa League could be decided.

    A UEFA statement read: “As a result of representations made by the football authorities in Belgium and Scotland, the committee recognises the issues raised and approved the guidelines on eligibility principles for 2020-21 UEFA club competitions. The guidelines reflect the principle that admission to UEFA club competitions is always based on sporting merit.

    “Therefore, UEFA urges national associations and leagues to explore all possible options to play all top domestic competitions giving access to UEFA club competitions to their natural conclusion. However, UEFA stresses that the health of players, spectators and all those involved in football as well as the public at large must remain the primary concern at this time.

    “The ideal scenario, should the pandemic situation permit it, is to have the currently suspended domestic competitions completed enabling football clubs to qualify for UEFA club competitions on sporting merit in their original format.

    “Should this outcome not be possible, in particular due to calendar issues, it would be preferable that suspended domestic competitions would restart with a different format in a manner which would still facilitate clubs to qualify on sporting merit.”

    This increases the possibility of leagues resuming behind closed doors, with the German Bundesliga announcing on Thursday that it is ready to resume play on May 9, pending government approval.

    Goal

  • COVID-19: WHO, UEFA trade words over football resumption date

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) and European soccer governing-body, UEFA, are seemingly now at loggerheads over the resumption of football amid on-going battle to contain the scourge of Coronavirus.

    According to Italian paper La Repubblica, the WHO have reportedly called for all football to be suspended until the end of next season – 2021.

    It is understood that the organisation would prefer all matches to be axed until at least the end of next season, in 18 months’ time.

    WHO are said to be considering all possible scenarios, but are concerned about causing a second wave of the pandemic.

    A lengthy suspension could plunge a huge number of clubs into financial instability due to the lack of matchday income.

    Teams across the world have already called on their players to take a pay cut to help ease their cash woes.

    But UEFA has categorically denied that the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended to them this week that all international competition should be suspended until the end of 2021.

    The governing body have been discussing with their 55 member associations a range of issues that are affecting football including the restructuring of the football calendar.

    A UEFA spokesperson said: “This is not correct. WHO never recommended that football should no longer be played until the end of 2021.”

    The WHO is acting as the lead United Nations (UN) body that advises a number of sporting federations during the Coronavirus pandemic.

  • Champions League, Europa League could be abandoned – UEFA

    The Champions League and Europa League could be abandoned if coronavirus restrictions remain in place into September, according to Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin.

    But Ceferin added that playing behind closed doors would be preferred to abandoning games.

    Champions League and Europa League matches are currently suspended until further notice.

    “We can’t play it out in September or October,” Ceferin told ZDF Sportstudio.

    When asked whether the season could be abandoned, he added: “If the authorities do not allow us to play, then we cannot play.”

    “The fact is that we really don’t know much,” Ceferin explained.

    “We are waiting for the development of this terrible situation in the world, and mainly in Europe.

    “It is still better to play the game behind closed doors and have it on TV, which is what the people need and want because it brings positive energy to their homes, than not playing at all.

    “That’s what the people want, that brings positive energy, and it will be July or August.”

    The finals of the Champions League, Europa League and Women’s Champions League, all of which were scheduled for May, have already been postponed.

  • Champions League, Europa League suspended till further notice

    All Champions League and Europa League matches have been suspended “until further notice” by Uefa because of the global coronavirus pandemic.

    All national team games in June have also been postponed, including play-off matches for Euro 2020 – already postponed to 2021 – and qualifying matches for the Women’s Euro 2021.

    The European governing body’s 55 member associations met on Wednesday.

    The Premier League is suspended until at least 30 April.

    The Euro 2020 play-offs are set to feature Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Scotland.

    Premier League clubs Manchester City and Chelsea are both still in the Champions League, while Manchester United, Wolves and Scottish Premiership side Rangers are all in the Europa League.

    The finals of the Champions League, Europa League and Women’s Champions League, all of which were scheduled for May, had already been postponed.

    While most leagues in Europe hope to finish their domestic seasons once restrictions on movement and social contact are lifted, Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin said last week the season could be lost if play does not start by the end of June.

    “If we don’t succeed in restarting, the season will probably be lost,” the Slovenian said.

    He told Italian newspaper La Repubblica: “There is a plan A, B and C.

    “The three options are to start again in mid-May, in June or at the end of June.

    “There is also the possibility of starting again at the beginning of the next [season], starting the following one later. We will see the best solution for leagues and clubs.”

    Ceferin says that playing remaining games behind closed doors would have to be an option across Europe.

    “It’s hard for me to imagine all the matches behind closed doors, but we still don’t know whether we’ll resume, with or without spectators,” he said.

    “If there was no alternative, it would be better to finish the championships.”

    A mini-tournament to decide the Champions League and Europa League is expected to be one option put forward to ease fixture congestion caused by the coronavirus crisis.

    BBC

  • UEFA to discuss Champions League fate on Wednesday

    UEFA will discuss the fate of this season’s Champions League and its other competitions that have been suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic in a video conference meeting on Wednesday, European soccer’s governing body said in a statement.

    All UEFA competitions have been halted because of the flu-like virus that has killed around 34,000 people, while this year’s European Championship has been pushed back to 2021.

    “UEFA has invited the general secretaries of its 55 member associations to a video conference on Wednesday, April 1… to discuss options identified with regards to the potential rescheduling of matches,” UEFA said.

    Player transfers and contracts will also be discussed at the meeting, it added.

    UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said over the weekend that the current season could be lost if it is unable to re-start by the end of June, although he did not rule out extending it into the next season.

  • UEFA postpones Champions League, Europa League finals

    This season’s Champions League, Europa League and women’s Champions League finals scheduled for May have been formally postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic, European soccer’s governing body UEFA said on Monday.

    All three competitions are currently suspended along with almost every European domestic league because of the coronavirus while UEFA last week postponed the Euro 2020 tournament until 2021.

    “No decision has been taken on rearranged dates,” UEFA said in a statement.

    It also did not say whether it would be able to complete the competitions in the current format or would have to shorten them.

    The Champions League was halted halfway through the return legs of the round of 16 with four ties still to be decided.

    The final was due to take place in Istanbul on May 30.

    Some media reports have suggested ties could be reduced to one leg instead of two from the quarter-finals with a “final four” tournament in Istanbul.

    In the Europa League, two of the round of 16 first leg matches have still to be played and all of the second legs. The final was due to be held in Gdansk, Poland, on May 27.

    The women’s Champions League final was scheduled for Vienna on May 24.

  • BREAKING: UEFA postpones Euro 2020 for one year

    BREAKING: UEFA postpones Euro 2020 for one year

    Union of European Football Associations, UEFA has postponed Euro 2020 until next summer, the Norwegian FA claim.

    Euro 2020 was due to begin on June 12 for one month, but the decision has been made to postpone the finals due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has wreaked havoc on the sporting calendar.

    The tournament, which involves 24 nations and takes place across 12 host cities, will instead be played in the summer of 2021, starting on June 11 and ending on July 11.

    Details Shortly…

  • UEFA suspends Champions League, Europa League

    UEFA suspends Champions League, Europa League

    All Uefa competitions, including Champions League and Europa League matches due to be played next week, have been postponed because of the coronavirus outbreak.

    The draws for the next rounds, set for 20 March, have also been postponed.

    In the Champions League, Manchester City v Real Madrid, Juventus v Lyon, Barcelona v Napoli and Bayern Munich v Chelsea are all postponed.

    Manchester United, Wolves and Rangers’ matches in the Europa League are off.

    All Uefa Youth League quarter-final matches scheduled for 17 and 18 March are also off.

    Uefa said further decisions on the scheduling of the postponed fixtures “will be communicated in due course”.

    European football’s governing body has invited representatives from all 55 of its member associations to a meeting on Tuesday in order to discuss a response to the coronavirus outbreak.

    The scheduling of Euro 2020 will be discussed at the gathering.

    More than 125,000 people have been diagnosed with coronavirus in 118 countries around the world, according to the World Health Organization. The total number of deaths is more than 4,600.

  • UEFA cuts 15 seconds off VAR reviews in Champions League games

    UEFA says it has shaved 15 seconds off the average time it takes for the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system to correct a decision in its Champions League this season.

    It said the average is now down to one minute 30 seconds.

    The head of UEFA’s referees’ committee, Roberto Rosetti, said he was very happy with the way the technology had been used in the competition.

    But he stressed that it was only for “clear and obvious” mistakes.

    UEFA said that in 108 playoff round and group stage matches so far, 27 decisions had been corrected by the VAR system, an average of one every four games.

    “This shows the quality of the referees’ performances,” said Rosetti.

    “In addition, we feel that the time taken to overturn a decision is important. So far this season, the average time for the correction of a decision has been one minute 30 seconds —- 15 seconds less than last season.”

    The use of VAR in some domestic leagues, particularly England’s Premier League, has been widely criticised.

    This has come with suggestions that the video officials in some countries now have more power than those on the pitch.

    Many critics feel that it has gone beyond its original remit with goals being disallowed for the tiniest of infringements such as a player being offside by an armpit.

    “I will emphasise once more that —- in compliance with its protocol —- VAR is only for clear and obvious mistakes, and not for controversial situations,” said Rosetti, emphasising that the official on the pitch should have the final call.

    “Football needs good referees above all —- match officials with a strong personality on the field of play, who take correct and courageous decisions.”

    UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has been among the critics over the way VAR has been used in some leagues, saying it was changing the character of the sport.

    The European football body confirmed that VAR would be used in the knockout stages of the Europa League for the first time this season.

    UEFA added that it would also be used for the Euro 2020 playoff matches in March, as well as the final tournament itself.

  • UEFA Ban: Premier League to deduct points from Man City

    UEFA Ban: Premier League to deduct points from Man City

    Manchester City are facing a points deduction from the Premier League, as punishment for breaching UEFA Financial Fair Play (FFP).

    The “serious breaches” also represents a breach of the EPL’s regulations.

    City on Friday, were banned from the Champions League for two years and fined €30m, after UEFA’s Adjudicatory Chamber found the club had bloated its sponsorship revenue in accounts submitted between 2012 and 2016.

    The UK Independent claims this will force the Premier League to act due to their own licensing, which pertains to UEFA’s Financial Fair Play regulations.

    This is because any club must supply correct information to get a Premier League licence and that information must match that supplied to UEFA.

    City have confirmed they will appeal the decision, but it is understood Premier League committees had already discussed potential punishments and a points deduction is now seen as highly likely.