UEFA's executive committee met today by teleconference. He received updates on the working groups set up in collaboration with the European Club Association (ECA), European Leagues (EL) and FIFPRO Europe.
Of the two scenarios considered by the Working Group on Dates, both provide for domestic football to start before the UEFA matches, with one seeking to organize the matches at the same time and the other to complete the domestic matches before starting. again the UEFA matches in August.
The committee heard about the work of the newly formed medical subgroup, chaired by Professor Tim Meyer, examining health issues related to the return to football, which is working with the ECA and EL to link the work already done by championships and clubs to produce a set of guidelines that will align with the best available health protocols. The committee appreciated the unity shown throughout European football and the emphasis placed on the prioritization of health in the effort to create a path for the return of football.
As a result of the representatives of the football authorities in Belgium and Scotland, the committee recognizes the issues raised and approved the guidelines for the authorities to participate in the UEFA 2020/21 events. The guidelines reflect the principle that entering UEFA club competitions is always based on athletic value.
Therefore, UEFA urges the National Federations and Championships to explore all possible options to play all the top domestic competitions, which give permission to participate in UEFA competitions, in its normal outcome. However, UEFA emphasizes that the health of the players, the spectators and all those involved in football, as well as the public, must remain the main concern at the moment.
The ideal scenario, if the pandemic situation allows, is to complete the currently suspended domestic tournaments, allowing football clubs to qualify for UEFA matches with sporting value in their original form. If this result is not possible, especially due to calendar issues, it would be better for the suspended tournaments to start again in a different way in a way that would make it easier for clubs to qualify for the UEFA competitions with sports criteria.
While every effort is being made to complete the domestic competitions, the Federations and Championships may have legitimate reasons to end their home games prematurely, especially in the following cases:
• the existence of an official order prohibiting sporting events, so that domestic events cannot be completed before a date that would make it possible to complete the current season.
• insurmountable financial problems that make it impossible to complete the season, because it would jeopardize the long-term financial stability of domestic competition and / or clubs.
If a domestic tournament is terminated prematurely for legitimate reasons under the above terms, UEFA would require the Federation concerned to select clubs for the UEFA club 2020/21 matches based on the sports criteria in the 2019/20 domestic matches:
• The process of selecting clubs must be based on objective, transparent and impartial principles. National clubs and leagues should otherwise be able to decide the final places in their domestic competitions, taking into account the specific conditions of each event.
• The final determination of eligible positions for UEFA matches must be confirmed by the competent authorities at home.
UEFA reserves the right to refuse or evaluate entry to any club nominated by a Federation from an early terminated domestic competition, in particular when:
• Domestic events have not been terminated prematurely on the grounds given in these UEFA guidelines or on other legitimate grounds of public health.
• The clubs were selected according to a process that was not objective, transparent and impartial, so that the selected clubs could not be considered to have qualified by sports criteria.
• there is a public perception of injustice in the conditions of the group ".
Of the two scenarios considered by the Working Group on Dates, both provide for domestic football to start before the UEFA matches, with one seeking to organize the matches at the same time and the other to complete the domestic matches before starting. again the UEFA matches in August.
The committee heard about the work of the newly formed medical subgroup, chaired by Professor Tim Meyer, examining health issues related to the return to football, which is working with the ECA and EL to link the work already done by championships and clubs to produce a set of guidelines that will align with the best available health protocols. The committee appreciated the unity shown throughout European football and the emphasis placed on the prioritization of health in the effort to create a path for the return of football.
As a result of the representatives of the football authorities in Belgium and Scotland, the committee recognizes the issues raised and approved the guidelines for the authorities to participate in the UEFA 2020/21 events. The guidelines reflect the principle that entering UEFA club competitions is always based on athletic value.
Therefore, UEFA urges the National Federations and Championships to explore all possible options to play all the top domestic competitions, which give permission to participate in UEFA competitions, in its normal outcome. However, UEFA emphasizes that the health of the players, the spectators and all those involved in football, as well as the public, must remain the main concern at the moment.
The ideal scenario, if the pandemic situation allows, is to complete the currently suspended domestic tournaments, allowing football clubs to qualify for UEFA matches with sporting value in their original form. If this result is not possible, especially due to calendar issues, it would be better for the suspended tournaments to start again in a different way in a way that would make it easier for clubs to qualify for the UEFA competitions with sports criteria.
While every effort is being made to complete the domestic competitions, the Federations and Championships may have legitimate reasons to end their home games prematurely, especially in the following cases:
• the existence of an official order prohibiting sporting events, so that domestic events cannot be completed before a date that would make it possible to complete the current season.
• insurmountable financial problems that make it impossible to complete the season, because it would jeopardize the long-term financial stability of domestic competition and / or clubs.
If a domestic tournament is terminated prematurely for legitimate reasons under the above terms, UEFA would require the Federation concerned to select clubs for the UEFA club 2020/21 matches based on the sports criteria in the 2019/20 domestic matches:
• The process of selecting clubs must be based on objective, transparent and impartial principles. National clubs and leagues should otherwise be able to decide the final places in their domestic competitions, taking into account the specific conditions of each event.
• The final determination of eligible positions for UEFA matches must be confirmed by the competent authorities at home.
UEFA reserves the right to refuse or evaluate entry to any club nominated by a Federation from an early terminated domestic competition, in particular when:
• Domestic events have not been terminated prematurely on the grounds given in these UEFA guidelines or on other legitimate grounds of public health.
• The clubs were selected according to a process that was not objective, transparent and impartial, so that the selected clubs could not be considered to have qualified by sports criteria.
• there is a public perception of injustice in the conditions of the group ".
