Domestic leagues are wrapping up their respective competitions at a frantic pace, clearing the way for the return of European football. It’s been many a moon since Marcos Llorente silenced Anfield, so before Champions League matches return, let’s do a quick recap and preview of things to come.
Where were we?
The Ballon d'Or will not be awarded this year for the first time in its 64-year history after the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the football calendar, organizers France Football magazine said on Monday.
The prestigious award, voted for by journalists, is an annual prize given to the best male footballer in the world since 1956. The women's Ballon d'Or was first awarded in 2018.
Manchester City's two-year suspension from European football was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Monday, allowing the club to compete in next season's elite Champions League competition.
CAS ruled that City did not breach Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules by disguising equity funding as sponsorship. Sport's highest court also reduced a fine for failing to cooperate with UEFA to $11.3 million from $34 million.
Bayern Munich will face Barcelona or Napoli in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, if it can defend its three goal lead against Chelsea in its last-16, second-leg game.
The Champions League will resume in August after being halted in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic with a 'Final Eight' tournament being held in Lisbon after the remaining second-leg games from the last 16 ties are decided.
While COVID-19 has done its best to alter the soccer landscape in 2020, it appears that the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League campaign will, for the most part, continue on schedule.
ViacomCBS Inc said on Thursday it had signed an agreement with European soccer's governing body UEFA to live-stream Champions League matches on CBS All Access in the United States, starting this season through 2024.
On March 13, UEFA announced the postponement of the Champions League amid the coronavirus pandemic. Ever since, fans have been wondering: When will Champions League resume?
With many European nations going on complete lockdown from March to June, playing football became secondary. Nonetheless, soccer is the most important of the unimportant things in life, and players, clubs and fans want to see the competition completed.
European soccer body UEFA has temporarily relaxed its break-even rule known as Financial Fair Play, saying it wants to make sure that clubs are not penalized for unforeseen losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic this season.
The European soccer body said in a statement that clubs' accounts for the 2020 and 2021 financial years would be assessed together rather than separately, to give clubs time to recuperate from losses suffered during the last three months.
Serie A has not even restarted following the coronavirus stoppage, yet pressure is already mounting on Juventus coach Maurizio Sarri following his side's failure to win the Coppa Italia.
This season's Champions League, suspended in March because of the COVID-19 pandemic, will be completed with an eight-team mini-tournament which will be held in Lisbon in August, European soccer's governing body UEFA said on Wednesday.
The quarterfinals and semifinals will be staged over one leg, instead of the usual two, with the final to be held on Aug. 23, UEFA deputy general secretary Giorgio Marchetti said after an executive committee meeting held by video conference.