Zidane Welcomes The New Format Of The Champions League Which Must Be Completed In 12 Days

JAKARTA - The Champions League will begin again in an eight-team tournament format that will take place in Lisbon. The tournament will be completed within 12 days.

The UEFA Executive Committee gave the green light for the Portuguese capital to host a Champions League settlement. This tournament was stopped three months ago due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The quarter-finals and semi-finals will only be played once. Sporting CP Estadio Jose Alvalade will host all of these matches.

The quarter-finals will take place over four nights from 12-16 August. Then proceed with the semifinals on August 18-19. Meanwhile, the top match will be played at Estadio da Luz Benfica on 23 August.

Meanwhile, the remaining last 16 second legs will be played on August 7 and 8. However, it has not been decided whether the match will take place at the home team's stadium or in Portugal.

Estadio do Dragao in Porto and Estadio Dom Afonso Henriques in Guimaraes will be added as venues if needed.

"I am delighted that we can continue in almost any competition. I am sure we will not have to endure the absence of the old fans and that they will be allowed into the stadium sooner rather than later," said UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin.

"The football community has worked together and shown extraordinary unity during this unprecedented crisis. I would like to thank FIFA, our brother confederations, national associations, clubs, leagues, players and relevant authorities for their continued support and commitment. and I believe that we are coming out of this crisis stronger and with closer relationships than ever before, "

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin

All remaining matches from the 2019-2020 Champions League will be played at 21.00 local time or 02.00 WIB. The draw for the 2019-2020 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals and semi-finals will take place on 10 July 2020 at UEFA headquarters in Nyon.

Istanbul's Ataturk Olympic Stadium was originally scheduled to host this season's final. But the lunge of COVID-19 makes that impossible any longer.

UEFA has confirmed Istanbul will host the 2020-2021 season finals. Meanwhile, the last three hosts St Petersburg, Munich and London (Wembley) each agreed to step down for a year.

📅 Your #UCL August calendar. pic.twitter.com/M7tjOXXjqo

- UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) June 17, 2020

Meanwhile, Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane welcomed the new Champions League format offered by UEFA. Los Blancos lost 1-2 to Manchester City in the first leg of the last 16.

"We are having a special moment and everything will be special," Zidane said at a press conference ahead of Madrid's La Liga clash with Valencia.

"We know the format, how it will be, but we still don't know where we will play the second leg against City," continued Zizou.

Real Madrid will adapt, continued Zidane, even though the match must be in Lisbon or Manchester they will still play. But first, they have to find a way to make a comeback by beating City.

"The important thing is to play again and we are happy, but the formula for this Champions League does not seem bad for me," concluded Zidane.

"I love it. It's okay to break everything in the same place."