February 24 – UEFA has cancelled the 2021 Women’s and Men’s Under-19 Championships because of the coronavirus pandemic.
In a statement, UEFA said that “the UEFA Executive Committee took note that, with the government restrictions currently in place the travelling of teams and staging of mini-tournaments would prove very difficult.
“The UEFA member associations were consulted and supported the decision. Although it is unfortunate that no youth competitions can take place in the current season, the health and safety of young athletes must be prioritized in the current circumstances.”
It is the second year in succession that the youth finals have been cancelled. Last year, Northern Ireland and Georgia should have hosted the tournaments.
The men’s finals would have seen a qualifying campaign played across Europe in March whittling down the playing field to eight finalists.
The European governing body has also shifted this season’s Futsal Champions League finals from Belarus to Croatia.
Contact the writer of this story, Samindra Kunti, at moc.l1713542097labto1713542097ofdlr1713542097owedi1713542097sni@o1713542097fni1713542097