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UEFA to consider making single-game knockout format permanent

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UEFA to replace Lille pitch after poor weather

The European football governing body, UEFA has revealed that it is contemplating on making permanent, the single-game knockout format used in this season’s Champions League and Europa League.

Football, as well as other sporting activities, has experienced several changes around the globe, having been largely effected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Traditionally the knockout stages the European elite club competitions contain a home and away leg, with the aggregate winners progressing to the next stage.

But both competitions were forced to use the final-eight format this month to achieve a successful completion of the season after activities were halted in March.

Read Also: UCL, Europa League to be completed in ‘final eight’ format in August

Speaking to AP, president of the football body, Aleksander Ceferin admitted he has enjoyed the one-off matches, and thinks they could well be here to stay.

“I have to say that this system of one match seems more interesting to me than the other system with two legged matches,” he said.

“It’s one of the interesting things that was brought by this pandemic. We had to do a system like that. We had to play this way, but at the end, we see it’s a very interesting system.

“Now, it’s quite complicated to place a final eight in the calendar. But we saw that people want exciting matches, that in one match, every team can beat every team in Champions League or the Europa League.

“So it’s something to consider for the future … I think in September or October, we have to start to seriously speak.

“Even though you have less matches, the value can be higher if promoted properly. I see my friends from football and out of football calling me and texting me and they are all extremely excited about this system. Not so much tactics.”

The Europa League has been won by Spanish side Sevilla last Friday, while season’s Champions League final is between Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain in Lisbon later on Sunday.

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