The significant announcement UEFA just made The governing b

The significant announcement UEFA just made

The governing body of European football have made some key announcements regarding signings, international fixtures and the 2019/20 season

By Ian Mitchelmore


Thursday 2nd April 2020


UEFA have announced that all international matches scheduled for June have been postponed while its club competitions remain suspended until further notice.

The governing body announced last month that Euro 2020 will now be held next year due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Football across the vast majority of Europe remains on hold, with the Premier League and EFL schedules postponed until April 30 at the earliest, although that date is set to be pushed back further.

UEFA addressed general secretaries from each of its 55 members associations via video conference on Wednesday, with those in attendance discussing a range of topics, including when the 2019/20 season should resume.

And the key headlines to emerge from the meeting is that every international fixture scheduled for June will be postponed.

It means Wales' Euro 2020 warm-up clash with Netherlands in Rotterdam on June 6 has been postponed.

Ryan Giggs' men have already seen their friendly matches against Austria and the United States of America cancelled due to the Covid-19 spread.

The postponement of international fixtures includes Euro 2020 play-offs involving Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and Scotland. It also features Women's EURO 2021 qualifying games.

As part of the meeting, it was also determined that the outstanding Champions League and Europa League fixtures from the current campaign will be postponed.

They also revealed deadlines related to the 2020/21 UEFA club competitions have also been postponed, including those on the registration of players.

Chiefs will set new deadlines in due course.

A part of their latest statement read: "The deadlines related to all 2020/21 UEFA club competitions are postponed until further notice, in particular as regards the admission process and the registration of players. UEFA will set new deadlines in due course."

UEFA have also cancelled the European Under-17 Championship finals - due to take place in May 2020 - along with the European Women's Under-19 Championship finals that were scheduled for July.

On club licensing and financial fair play matters, UEFA said: "The executive committee reiterated its full commitment to club licensing and financial fair play and agreed that the current exceptional circumstances necessitate some specific interventions to facilitate the work of member associations and clubs.

"It supports the proposal to give member associations more time to complete the club licensing process, until the admission process for next season's UEFA club competitions has been redefined.

"As a result of the increasing uncertainty generated by the ongoing extraordinary events, the executive committee also decided to suspend the club licensing provisions that relate to the preparation and assessment of clubs' future financial information.

"This decision applies exclusively for participation in the 2020/21 UEFA club competitions."

This may be significant in that UEFA are paving the way for the domestic seasons to be completed as soon as reasonably practicable?

Clearly the logistics of holding the Euros this summer were paramount in their thinking, as it would be a logistical and practical nightmare; but that they have been postponed by one year (the Ryder Cup and others did it after 9/11) to allow things to get back to some kind of normality is not unprecedented, as the Ryder Cup did it after 9/11 and I am sure it's been done elsewhere

Always assuming this wretched virus is in check by early summer, the clubs would have some leeway to play out their individual seasons and UEFA can then decide on how next season will be rolled out (as normal, late start or even cancellation)