UEFA consider 'Final 4' in Istanbul to crown Champions League winners amid COVID-19 crisis

Amid the ongoing Coronavirus crises in Europe, the UEFA is considering hosting the Champions League and Europa League semi-finals in Istanbul and Gdansk. The Champions League is currently suspended due to the outbreak of Covid-19 and the UEFA board is in the process of planning out how to work out the remainder of the campaign. The latest suggestion is that the Champions League could be braced for a 'final four' format to be held in Turkey or Poland. 

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Coronavirus postpones Champions League and Europa League

The UEFA issued a full statement on March 13, deciding to suspend the remainder of the Champions League games due to the Covid-19 outbreak. The Coronavirus outbreak has already impacted several sports all across the globe and the World Health Organization has termed the Coronavirus as a 'pandemic'. Here is the statement from UEFA which confirmed the Champions League and Europa League will be postponed due to Covid-19.

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Champions League and Europa League to be held in Turkey and Poland

In order to continue the Champions League and Europa League campaigns amid the Coronavirus plague, the European football governing body has come up with a suggestion to play the 'final four' in different venues. Istanbul and Gdansk have been respectively chosen as the final venues of the Champions League and Europa League. The semi-finals of the Europa League and the Champions League are planned to be played out in a single-legged tie across a four-day period. 

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When will Champions League football return amid Covid-19 fears

For now, UEFA's primary concern is concluding the Champions League and Europa League's last-16 stages which were both suspended due to Coronavirus this week and ties are yet to be resolved, after which the quarter-finals come into play. The next priority for UEFA is scheduling the dates for fixtures to be planned out so they don't clash with domestic fixtures, nor the Euro's if they are postponed. So far, the answer to 'When will Champions League football return'? still seems unclear as Coronavirus has already claimed the lives of over 6,500 people worldwide.

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