• Direct: The last hour of the coronavirus
  • UEFA takes it for granted that professional football won't return at least until June

“We are in total uncertainty, we depend on the evolution of the pandemic. To contemplate, we contemplate scenarios that start from May 10 to start on June 28 ». The top manager of one of the three great Spanish clubs, confined at home like everyone else, uses four mobile batteries every day. Like him, the capos of the other important Spanish (and European) clubs. They are in permanent contact. Beyond the decisions being signed by UEFA, or the Federations, or the Leagues, they are the ones who fundamentally substantiate them . In these almost three weeks of closure, and being aware of the volatility of their forecasts, they have designed half a dozen competition calendars with (some) certainty and fear .

"The Champions League is what is most in danger," says the top executive of another of the great Spanish clubs. "Not playing it is a lot of money, but it won't make any difference next year," he insists. The fear, shared by the rest of the clubs, is based on the current situation on the borders of European countries . With more or less forceful restrictions (Spain has closed its land borders and does not admit flights from Italy, for example), it does not seem easy to move entire teams to play the remainder , which are four games of the second round of the second leg, round and quarterfinal round trip, semifinal round trip and final, scheduled for no date in Istanbul.

Other clubs are somewhat (slightly) more optimistic. “It is true that this is a problem, although we believe that it will be an all or nothing . Either it resumes and everything ends, or nothing resumes or ends, "they proclaim from Atlético de Madrid . The importance of the Champions League for the clubs' safe is more than known, but to underline it one fact would suffice: with official numbers from the 18/19 season, the last one that has ended, it is observed how Barça (eliminated in the semifinals Liverpool), entered 117,730 million euros. Real Madrid and Atlético (eliminated in the last 16 by Ajax and Juventus), collected 85.03 and 85.56 . Percentages all of them estimated in their budgets. Therefore, everyone is attentive to the evolution of the disease, which does not keep the same rhythm in all countries. In this sense, the cases of England, where they intuit an outbreak in the coming weeks, and of Germany, where development is unknown, are of particular concern. The cancellation, on Wednesday, of Wimbledon , was another worrying signal, because it is hard to think of a scenario where in July, in England, you cannot play tennis, but you can play soccer.

Eight weeks

In what Real Madrid, Atlético and Barcelona coincide, it takes eight weeks to finish the competitions. In the case of the League, there are 11 days, which would be played at two per week, which would be at least six weeks . And, later, because in parallel it would be almost impossible for the Champions, which will require an effort of five games for the champion (six for those who have not completed the eighth). "But there is no other option," insist the sources consulted. There is a surprising detail in their speeches: they want to respect as far as possible the footballers' holidays, whatever they may be, handling September as the most likely scenario. Why? Simple, for fear of injury and because everyone will want to reach the Euro Cup and the Copa América (by the way, the major leagues have committed to UEFA and Conmebol to finish the 2020/2021 season on May 23 next year).

What seems already accepted by all is that there will be no Christmas break, nor will there be hardly any distance between the group stage of the Champions 20/21 and the knockout stages . That break that now runs from early December to mid-February is also a victim of the coronavirus. "There will be practically games during the week from when we start until May of next year," they insist, and yes, they differ on one point. While the majority assumes that all these games will be played behind closed doors, Barcelona sources insist that it must be with the public . From the Camp Nou they are in favor of delaying the start of games for a week if it helps to have people in the stands, an important source of income in the accounts of the Barça club. That being the case, and if everything goes well, there will be a flirt in the middle of summer .

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  • sports
  • soccer
  • Champions League
  • Real Madrid
  • FC Barcelona
  • Atlético de Madrid
  • Coronavirus

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