EUROPA League
UEFA MOVES CHAMPIONS LEAGUE, EUROPA TO JULY AND AUGUST
The latter stages of this season’s Champions League and Europa League are reportedly set to be moved to July and August as the coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the football calendar.
And all international matches scheduled for June are likely to be postponed until autumn to make way for the completion of the 2019-20 season.
The move comes, according to German outlet ZDF, ahead of the latest UEFA video conference set to take place on Wednesday.
All football across Europe has been suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, and uncertainty surrounds when it will be safe again to continue.
But there now appears to be a prevailing view that this season should finish before the next begins that could even see the Champions League final played behind closed doors, according to the Independent.
They claimed on Wednesday that voiding the 2019-20 season is now reportedly ‘off the table’ with UEFA and the European leagues committing to completing the current campaign.
European football’s governing body is set to to stage another video conference on Wednesday where plans to finish the season, as well as issues over player contracts and the transfer window.
Detailed discussions are already believed to have taken place, with all parties in agreement with the view from England that the season must be completed.
It could lead to both the Champions League and Europa League showpieces taking place in front of empty stadiums.
Sportsmail revealed on Tuesday that English clubs have serious reservations about resuming European competition this season.
The FA are expected to raise concerns about heading abroad given the risks attached to being on airplanes, airports, hotels and the varying degrees of Covid-19 at different destinations, even when travel restrictions are lifted.
International friendlies had been scheduled for June as warm ups ahead of summer tournaments, but they are also set to be moved.
Euro 2020 and the Copa America have already been postponed by 12 months due to the coronavirus pandemic which has brought the world of sport to a complete standstill.
Four-times Europa League winner Unai Emery booked an astonishing sixth final in the competition as a manager on Thursday when his Aston Villa team swept aside Nottingham Forest in the second leg of their all-English semi-final.
The 54-year-old Spaniard has won three times with Sevilla (2014, 2015, 2016) and once with Villarreal (2021) – either side of a defeat with Arsenal (2019) – deservedly earning him the epithet “Mr Europa League” from some fans and media.
Now he goes to the 2026 final seeking a fifth title, this time with Aston Villa against Bundesliga side Freiburg.
“His track record speaks for itself,” said Villa striker Ollie Watkins, heaping praise on his boss as the man to guarantee Europa League success. “We need to go and win it now.”
Emery was delighted with how his team overturned a 1-0 deficit to Forest in the first leg of the Europa League semi-final to score four times at home and win 4-1 on aggregate.
“Now we have to look to the final,” he said, hoping that Villa will do “something fantastic” for their fans.
Though thrilled at Thursday’s win, Emery left the pitch quickly after the final whistle, pumping his fist a few times at the crowd before letting his players enjoy the moment with fans
He and his Villa side will be favourites at the Europa League final in Istanbul on May 20, but Emery was taking nothing for granted. “Of course German teams are so difficult, their coaches, their players are so good,” he added of the upcoming opponents.
-Reuters
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List of teams which have qualified for the next round of the Europa League after the league phase concluded on Thursday, ranked by table position:
Directly to the round of 16:
1. Olympique Lyonnais (France)
2. Aston Villa (England)
3. Midtjylland (Denmark)
4. Real Betis (Spain)
5. Porto (Portugal)
6. Braga (Portugal)
7. Freiburg (Germany)
8. AS Roma (Italy)
Knockout phase play-off places (seeded)
9. Genk (Belgium)
10. Bologna (Italy)
11. VfB Stuttgart (Germany)
12. Ferencvaros (Hungary)
13. Nottingham Forest (England)
14. Viktoria Plzen (Czech Republic)
15. Red Star Belgrade (Serbia)
16. Celta Vigo (Spain)
Knockout phase play-off places (unseeded)
17. PAOK (Greece)
18. Lille (France)
19. Fenerbahce (Turkey)
20. Panathinaikos (Greece)
21. Celtic (Scotland)
22. Ludogorets (Bulgaria)
23. Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia)
24. SK Brann (Norway)
-Reuters
UEFA Europa League – Aston Villa v RB Salzburg – Villa Park, Birmingham, Britain – January 29, 2026 Aston
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Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv will not accept any away fan tickets for their Europa League match at Aston Villa next month, even if local authorities reverse the decision to ban their supporters, they said on Monday.
The ban followed safety concerns raised by British Police, who cited potential protests outside Villa Park, following demonstrations at Israel’s recent World Cup qualifiers in Oslo and Udine.
“From hard lessons learned we have taken the decision to decline any allocation offered on behalf of away fans and our decision should be understood in that context,” Maccabi said in a statement.
“We hope that circumstances will change and look forward to being able to play in Birmingham in a sporting environment in the near future.”
Aston Villa announced the decision last week, saying they were following instructions from the Safety Advisory Group (SAG), who are responsible for issuing safety certificates for games at Villa Park.
West Midlands Police described the match as high risk, past incidents, including violent confrontations and hate crime offences involving Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters ahead of a November 2024 game in Amsterdam.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar described the announcement as “shameful”.
Villa are third in the Europa League standings while Maccabi Tel Aviv are 30th after two rounds.
-Reuters
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