The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) have determined that the latter stages of the Champions League will take place over the month of August in Lisbon, Portugal.
In order to avoid the difficulties of international travel and strict quarantine rules, UEFA have decided to hold the tournament within one country – Portugal – as outlined in this update from the organization’s official website.
The Champions League will take place as a succession of one-off matches, as opposed to the two-legged fixtures typical of the competition, between the 12th and the 23rd of August.
These games will take place at the Estadio da Luz and the Estadio Jose Alvalade, the homes of SL Benfica and Sporting Club Portugal respectively.
📅 Your #UCL August calendar. pic.twitter.com/M7tjOXXjqo
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) June 17, 2020
The Europa League will undergo a similar restructuring, and will take place in Germany and run from the 10th to the 21st of August. Games are set to be hosted in Cologne, Duisburg, Düsseldorf and Gelsenkirchen.
However, this raises questions about the second-legs of the uncompleted Round of 16 ties. Four matchups – Juventus vs Lyon, Manchester City vs Real Madrid, Bayern Munich vs Chelsea, and Barcelona vs Napoli – are still yet to be completed. UEFA is yet to decide whether the second-legs of these matches will be played at the relevant teams’ home ground or in a neutral venue.