The ‘Ultimate Eight’ format for the Champions League won’t be repeated in future, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has informed AFP, saying it’s “inconceivable” to search out house in an already packed calendar. “This event could be attention-grabbing sooner or later, however I do not assume we will do it, as a result of the calendar is so dense,” Ceferin informed AFP in an unique interview in Lisbon, the place this season’s Champions League is being performed to a conclusion.
“I do not know the place I can put a event for per week or two in Could. I feel it is inconceivable,” he mentioned.
Earlier than the coronavirus pandemic, UEFA was busy considering modifications to the format of the Champions League from 2024 onwards.
This yr, all ties from the quarter-finals onwards are being performed as one-off matches behind closed doorways within the Portuguese capital as UEFA rushes to complete the competitors after an enforced hiatus of 5 months due to the pandemic.
This season’s last was imagined to be performed in Istanbul on the finish of Could. Now it should go forward in an empty Estadio da Luz on August 23, with the Turkish metropolis having been awarded the internet hosting of subsequent yr’s last as an alternative.
However that’s topic to the pandemic being below management by then.
“I’m optimistic by nature, and I feel that issues will get higher into subsequent yr and we could have regular soccer again, good outdated soccer with spectators, so we do not have a Plan B,” Ceferin mentioned.
“It’s a must to know that till March we did not have any plan, after which we had a Plan B, Plan C, Plan D, so we are going to adapt however I’m certain the world can not cease perpetually due to this virus,” added Ceferin, the Slovenian who turned president of European soccer’s governing physique in 2016.
“I count on a vaccine, as quickly as potential I hope, so no, we do not have a plan to do the identical competitors subsequent yr.”
– ‘Moments of nervousness’ –
Ceferin was talking the day after Paris Saint-Germain beat Atalanta 2-1 in a dramatic first quarter-final of the competitors.
The ‘Ultimate Eight’ is going down in strict situations, together with common testing and the variety of folks getting into stadiums stored to a minimal.
On Thursday, Atletico Madrid play RB Leipzig in the second quarter-final, with the Spaniards arriving in Portugal after a scare on the weekend when it was revealed two of their gamers had examined optimistic for COVID-19.
Ceferin mentioned he was at all times assured the Champions League can be accomplished, together with the Europa League, which is being performed to a end in related situations in Germany.
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“I used to be certain that we’d do that. I had moments of nervousness however I by no means gave up on the mission,” he mentioned.
“In the meanwhile, now all of the groups are in Portugal and in a bubble, I’m a lot calmer. As a result of when they’re at dwelling, and so they meet household and associates, it’s at all times a threat.”
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