UEFA considering 'Final Four' format to conclude the Champions League: the situation
The plan is to resort to the 'Final Four' format. The four teams that reach the semifinals will compete for the title in two semifinals in a single match and in the final. The three clashes would take place in a single city, Istanbul, which was destined to host the traditional final on May 30. The same plan would apply to the Europa League, with Gdansk in Poland hosting the conclusion of the competition.
The plan will be put to the vote on Tuesday, at the meeting held by representatives of the 55 UEFA associations that will be consulted via videoconference. The organization's secretary of competitions, Giorgio Marchetti, is in charge of presenting the plan, which is seen as the most feasible given that nobody knows at this time when the emergency can be stopped.
The priority for UEFA, at the moment, is to close the round of 16, with many ties still left unfinished, and from that moment proceed to the quarterfinal draw. In that sense, it would be necessary to decide where the matches would be played. One option would be in a neutral stadium and another, in one of those involved in the tie, but by lottery.
Thereafter, the Final Four formula would be chosen. It would allow concentrating the semifinals and the final of the competitions in a period of only four days, which would open more gaps in the schedule to conclude the different league campaigns that have been postponed throughout Europe.
For the UEFA plan to go ahead, in addition to the favourable vote of its 55 federations, it will need the approval of FIFA, which should give up the dates of the Club World Cup to make room for EURO 2021.