Champions League to resume on August 7 as an 8-team knockout tournament
Nyon [Switzerland], June 17 (ANI): The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) on Wednesday announced that Champions League's suspended season will resume from August 7 as an 8-team knockout tournament.
The UEFA Executive Committee met via videoconference and took several decisions regarding the regulations, format, calendar and venues for a variety of UEFA club and national team competitions.
The remaining Round of 16 second-leg matches will be played on August 7 and 8, waiting for a decision on whether they will take place at the home team's stadiums or in Portugal.
Champions League quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final will be played as an 8-team knockout tournament at the Estadio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica and the Estadio Jose Alvalade in Lisbon between August 12 and 23.
"The Estadio do Dragao in Porto and the Estadio Dom Afonso Henriques in Guimaraes will be added to Lisbon venues for the Round of 16, if necessary," the UEFA said.
The quarter-finals will take place from August 12 to 15, semi-finals on August 18 and 19 and the final at the Estadio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica on August 23.
The draws for the quarter-finals and semi-finals will take place on July 10 at UEFA's headquarters in Nyon and the exact match schedule will be issued after that.
"All quarter-final and semi-final matches will go to extra-time and penalty kicks in case of a draw at the end of the regular playing time. The same regulatory change will likewise apply to matches in the other competitions for which the same decision has been taken," the continental governing body said.
Istanbul, which was originally appointed to stage 2020 final will now host the 2021 Champions League Final, whereas the venues for subsequent finals have all agreed to host these a year later than originally planned, with St-Petersburg in 2022, Munich in 2023 and London (Wembley) in 2024. (ANI)
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