UEFA to host calls with European soccer leaders

Gates stand locked outside the closed Manchester City Etihad Stadium, in Manchester, northern England, as the English Premier League soccer season has been suspended due to coronavirus, Thursday, April 9, 2020. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death.

UEFA says it will host another round of calls next week for European soccer leaders to address the shutdown amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The UEFA executive committee is set to join by video link on April 23. It will follow separate days of calls with UEFA’s 55 member federations and club soccer officials.

UEFA is giving priority to completing national league and cup competitions. One contingency plan is for games to continue into July and August and decide entries for the Champions League and Europa League next season.

This season’s Champions League and Europa League could resume once domestic titles are decided.

The UEFA executive committee last month postponed the European Championship by one year to 2021. Other games affected include World Cup qualifying groups, the 2021 Nations League finals and the women’s Euro 2021 tournament in England.

In Asia, the Asian Football Confederation says it has postponed “all matches and competitions scheduled to take place in May and June until further notice.”

Most of the 32 Asian Champions League teams played two group games in February before the coronavirus outbreak caused a shutdown.

The AFC says it “will explore all possible options in order to complete” those groups.

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