UEFA postpones Champions League, Europa League games

LONDON

All Champions League and Europa League games have been postponed to curb the spread of coronavirus, the top European football body said Friday.

“In the light of developments due to the spread of COVID-19 in Europe and related decisions made by different governments, all UEFA club competitions matches scheduled next week are postponed,” the UEFA said in a statement.

They include the remaining UEFA Champions League Round of 16 second leg matches scheduled on March 17-18, 2020; all UEFA Europa League Round of 16 second leg matches scheduled on March 19, 2020; and all UEFA Youth League quarter-final matches scheduled on March 17-18, 2020, according to the statement.

The UEFA said: “Further decisions on when these matches take place will be communicated in due course."

The quarter-final draws of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League scheduled for March 20 have also been postponed.

The football body also invited the representatives of 55 member associations for a videoconference meeting on March 17 to discuss further steps regarding the COVID19 outbreak.

After emerging in Wuhan, China last December, the novel coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, has spread to 123 countries and territories.

The global death toll is now over 4,900, with more than 132,000 confirmed cases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), which has declared the outbreak a pandemic.