Clubs risk Champions League axe if seasons not completed: UEFA

Paris, April 3 (IANS) The current football season, stopped abruptly due to the onslaught of the coronavirus pandemic, should be played to a conclusion feel UEFA and Europe’s top clubs who have stated that teams may be excluded from the next Champions League if their domestic competitions are ended prematurely.

In a joint letter released late on Thursday, UEFA, the European Club Association (ECA), and the European Leagues body representing nearly a thousand clubs in 29 countries, made it clear that they were working on the possibility of playing on into July and August if there is a need.

“It is of paramount importance that even a disruptive event like this epidemic does not prevent our competitions from being decided on the field, in accordance with their rules and that all sporting titles are awarded on the basis of results,” the joint letter said.

“We are confident that football can restart in the months to come — with conditions that will be dictated by public authorities — and believe that any decision of abandoning domestic competitions is, at this stage, premature and not justified.

“Since participation in UEFA club competitions is determined by the sporting result achieved at the end of a full domestic competition, a premature termination would cast doubts about the fulfilment of such condition.”

The letter concluded: “UEFA reserves the right to assess the entitlement of clubs to be admitted to the 2020/21 UEFA club competitions.”

This was after the Belgian Pro League announced that it will declare the season over with the current table accepted as final and Club Brugge winning the league and meaning they would in theory go straight into the next Champions League group stage.

–IANS

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