While the world of football has been at a standstill since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, UEFA on Thursday 23 April convened its Executive Committee by videoconference. The European football authority continues to favor an end of the season for the current suspended national competitions.

"As a result, UEFA urges the national federations and the leagues to explore all the possible options for competing in all the national competitions giving access to the European competitions," the body said in its statement.

For 2020/21, the UEFA Executive Committee has adopted its Directives on the qualification of clubs # UCL #UEL ⤵️⤵️https: //t.co/h5ZDDGYrIV

- UEFA 🇫🇷 (@UEFAcom_en) April 23, 2020

In the event of a season stoppage due to the coronavirus, places in European club competitions must however be attributed to "sporting merit", warned UEFA, ruling on a question that has stirred the national championships since the suspension of matches half-March.

The procedure for selecting clubs qualified for the Champions League and the Europa League should "be based on objective, transparent and non-discriminatory criteria", she said. So no "white season" or cancellation of the championships.

Other speculations fueled the idea of ​​a European qualification awarded according to the UEFA club coefficient, a criterion that would have favored, for example Lyon, 7th in the French Championship at the time of the suspension, to the detriment of Marseille (2nd) or Lille ( 4th). "Admission to European club competitions is always based on sporting merit," said UEFA.

No schedule for resuming competitions

Recalling that the health of the players and spectators "remains the primary concern", UEFA did not provide details on the calendar for the resumption of competitions.

>> Covid-19: what end of season for European football?

One of the scenarios established by a working group bringing together the European Leagues and the European Association of Clubs (ECA), plans to complete the national competitions in early August and to complete throughout the month of August the Champions League , suspended mid-March at the stage of the round of 16.

According to a UEFA document consulted by AFP, the round of 16 would end on August 7 and 8 and the quarter-finals would be played between August 11 and 15. The semi-finals will be scheduled on August 18 and 19, the semi-finals on August 21 and 22, with the final scheduled on August 29. The Europa League final would be scheduled on August 27 and the semi-finals on August 17 and 20.

"It is a very optimistic scenario because who can predict if the borders will be open?" Wondered a source close to the discussions.

If the Dutch Championship has already announced its intention to end the season definitively, following a decision by the authorities, the German championship could restart it in May, behind closed doors.

This announcement could show the way for other championships, torn between health requirements and the need to end the season to collect the juicy television rights necessary for their financial balance.

With AFP

The France 24 week summary invites you to come back to the news that marked the week

I subscribe

Take international news everywhere with you! Download the France 24 app

google-play-badge_FR