UEFA postpone all Champions League and Europa League matches next week

Image
AFP Paris
Last Updated : Mar 13 2020 | 4:50 PM IST

All UEFA Champions League and Europa League matches scheduled to be played next week have been postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic, European football's governing body said on Friday.

The move comes after two of next week's four scheduled Champions League last 16, second legs -- between Manchester City and Real Madrid, and between Juventus and Lyon -- had already been called off on Thursday.

That followed Real's announcement that their squad had been placed in quarantine after one of the club's basketball players tested positive for the virus. Juventus defender Daniele Rugani has also tested positive for the virus.

Two other matches scheduled for next Wednesday, between Barcelona and Napoli and between Bayern Munich and Chelsea, were initially due to go ahead behind closed doors.

"In the light of developments due to the spread of COVID-19 in Europe and related decisions made by different governments, all UEFA club competitions matches scheduled next week are postponed," UEFA said in a statement.

"Further decisions on when these matches take place will be communicated in due course." The postponements also affect all the second legs of the Europa League last-16 round.

Six of the eight first-leg matches were played on Thursday, four behind closed doors, including Manchester United's 5-0 win away to LASK Linz in Austria.

The other two matches, between Inter Milan and Getafe and between Sevilla and Roma, were called off.

UEFA also confirmed that the draws for the Champions League and Europa League quarter-finals, which were supposed to be held next Friday, March 20, were postponed as a consequence.

The body will hold a crisis meeting next Tuesday to work out a way forward for their club competitions and for Euro 2020, which could now be postponed by a year due to the pandemic.

Several European countries, including Italy, Spain and France, have suspended their domestic leagues.

Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Mar 13 2020 | 4:50 PM IST

Next Story