UEFA lets Champions League group-stage games played deep into January. The decision completes any fixtures postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
UEFA ratified emergency competition rules on Thursday. This allows seven extra weeks to make up games—those beyond the scheduled sixth and final round of fixtures on December 9. However, Any game which cannot be played by January 28 and forfeited as a 3-0 loss by the team responsible for the failure. The same rules apply to the Europa League.
Several clubs whose players tested positive for COVID-19 had squads isolated in quarantine. Those forfeited games in recent weeks during the tightly scheduled qualifying rounds have a chance to reschedule games. The Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld UEFA’s decisions.
The draw for the first knockout round in both competitions set to air on December 14 at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland. But since the knockout stages don’t begin until mid-February, UEFA will allow time to reschedule games.
Postponed UEFA Super Cup
UEFA also detailed how compensation should be paid to a home team. A group-stage game must be played in a neutral country because of travel restrictions imposed by the away team’s home nation. The compensation could amount to 10 per cent of the fixed starting fee. However, UEFA pays to each club that qualifies. Equivalent to EUR 1.45 million (USD 1.7 million) in the Champions League, and EUR 275,000 (USD 320,000) in the Europa League.
The UEFA Super Cup, an annual football match contested by the champions of the continent’s two main club competitions. The Champions League and the Europa League. Traditionally, the game serves as a curtain-raiser to celebrate the new European club season.
This year, the game allegedly hosted at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary, which holds a capacity of 67,215. It will be the first time the venue has hosted the Super Cup.