April 4 – In a notable break with tradition, UEFA have decided to stage the final of both the Champions League and Europa League in the same week from next season.
The decision was taken by UEFA’s executive committee, meeting 24 hours before Wednesday’s Congress in Helsinki when key voting will take place to elect new members to the exco and FIFA’s ruling Council.
The move was made, according to a UEFA statement, to make sure the Europa League final, like its more prestigious counterpart, is played after the end of domestic seasons across the Continent. As a consequence, next season’s Europa League final will be played on May 29.
In other decisions, UEFA Futsal EURO will be played every four years with 16 teams (instead of every two years with 12 teams), starting in 2022. “This will offer an improved competition structure (qualifying competition over two seasons), and avoid the recurrent calendar clash with the FIFA Futsal World Cup competition every four years,” said UEFA.
The UEFA Futsal EURO 2020-22 would begin during the 2020/21 season, and no UEFA Futsal EURO final tournament will take place in 2020. A UEFA Women’s Futsal EURO will be played every two years with four teams, starting in 2019, given the still limited number of existing women’s national teams in Europe.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1714653315labto1714653315ofdlr1714653315owedi1714653315sni@w1714653315ahsra1714653315w.wer1714653315dna1714653315