Close Season?

[Safron]

Does anybody know if any announcement has been made, regarding when and how long it will be for, and when the new season will begin??

[NewClaret]

Suspect there’s so much focus on organising the completion of the current season that nobody has given it any thought, but I’m hoping if this goes well it’s a short close season & we’re back underway in August/September.

[tiger76]

My best guess would be early/mid September, a lot depends on what plans UEFA have for the European comps, and when they'll commence next season.

I know nobody cares about Scottish football, but the Championship clubs up here have voted for a shortened 27 game season commencing on 17 October maybe. Naturally behind closed doors initially, the Premiership clubs are suppose to resume playing on 1 August, but none of this is set in stone, and it could easily change.

As NC says they just want to get this season done and dusted first, before contemplating the 20/21 season. There's no Euro's this summer, so it should be possible to have a slightly shorter shutdown, and perhaps an earlyish restart.

[PremierLeagueClass]

Not a chance it will be before mid September I wouldn’t have thought.

[Colburn_Claret]

I should imagine that foreign holidays are out of the question, so it will depend on how long they leave the start of the new season.
Mid season will definitley be shorter than usual, so the pre season won't require to be as intensive or as long.
I hope early Sept, the 5th is my lads birthday, a nice present for him.

[jrgbfc]

Mid September I'd say. Going to be a nightmare for UEFA trying to squeeze in the preliminary qualifiers for the Champions league and Europa somewhere.

[FactualFrank]

End of this season to beginning of next, when you take into account their planned dates, is 7 weeks.

Unless those dates have now changed.

[Longsidelenny1882]

End off this season 3 week break then start September utc

[MrTopTier]

First week in September. Season now runs from June 17th to 26th July.

[AfloatinClaret]

...Season now runs from June 17th to 26th July.

Give the players just two weeks off and then we can re-start on the Glorious 12th.

[huw.Y.WattfromWare]

EUFA plan for a boot camp CL in Lisbon, last I heard. That will follow national league completion. Depends how long that runs over, some of QFs not completed yet.

[NewClaret]

EUFA plan for a boot camp CL in Lisbon, last I heard. That will follow national league completion. Depends how long that runs over, some of QFs not completed yet.

That will only apply to 8 or so clubs though. With a bit of luck the PL will finish 26/07 so hopefully not inconceivable to restart a month to six weeks later. I’ve had a long break from football - don’t really want another.

Anyone heard what the options are for the transfer window? Hope it won’t run in to next season. I like all that nonsense to be over before it restarts. Given the financial challenges faced by clubs currently, you’d expect there to be fewer transfers in any event, so maybe a shorter window would be fine?

[Erasmus]

The problem for the lower league teams in England and Scotland will be that if games are played behind closed doors there will no income generated, and so nothing to pay the players with. A return at that level would only be possible if there was external financing from benefactors.

[claretburns]

Saw Premier League have applied to FIFA to make the summer transfer window between August-October

[tiger76]

Champions League restart: Lisbon to host condensed 12-day final stages

Champions League knockout games are set to be played in an 12-day condensed tournament in Lisbon in August.

The Portuguese capital will host the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final between August 12-23.

All ties will be played as single legs across two different stadiums in Lisbon - the Estadio da Luz and the Estadio Jose Alvalade.

UEFA's Executive Committee are expected to approve the new mini tournament at a meeting on Wednesday.

Champions League quarter-finals: August 12-15
Champions League semi-finals: August 18/19
Champions League final: August 23
How the four outstanding last-16 matches should be completed has yet to be decided. Manchester City were due to play a second-leg match against Real Madrid on March 17 at the Etihad Stadium, leading 2-1 from the first leg in Spain. Chelsea are 3-0 down from the home first leg of their tie against Bayern Munich.

Original Champions League final hosts Istanbul are expected to be compensated with the right to stage a future final.

As things stand all the matches would be behind closed doors, but if the Portuguese government were to alter its guidance in time for ticketing to be organised then there is the possibility of some supporters being able to attend.

Champions League last-16 ties still to play
Manchester City vs Real Madrid (2-1 after first leg)

Bayern Munich vs Chelsea (3-0)

Juventus vs Lyon (0-1)

Barcelona vs Napoli (1-1)

Already through: Paris Saint-Germain, Atalanta, Atletico Madrid, RB Leipzig

A decision has yet to be made on the remaining Europa League games this season but it's likely to follow a similar format with the likely destination a city in Germany - possibly Frankfurt or Dusseldorf.

The Women's Champions League may also follow a similar pattern, with reports in Spain suggesting the final games could be split between the Basque cities of Bilbao and San Sebastian.

Europa League last-16 ties still to play
FC Copenhagen vs Istanbul Basaksehir (0-1)

Wolves vs Olympiacos (1-1)

Bayer Leverkusen vs Rangers (3-1)

Shaktar Donetsk vs Wolfsburg (2-1)

Inter Milan vs Getafe (Both legs yet to be played)

Sevilla vs Roma (Both legs yet to be played)

FC Basel vs Eintracht Frankfurt (3-0)

Manchester United vs LASK (5-0)

UEFA is understood to be targeting a mid-October start for the group stages of the 2020-21 Champions League, traditionally when you would expect matchday three to start.

But how it reaches that point - and when the qualifying rounds take place - is an extremely complex problem to solve with many leagues likely to still be ongoing when the preliminaries are usually scheduled.

So judging by that schedule the European comps won't finish until around the end of August, so i can't see the big boys being happy at the PL commencing the 20/21 season before they're complete, nor the other leagues either, so i'd maybe put my prediction back to late September/early October now.

Promising development that there might yet be some supporters at the final in Lisbon, even if it's a smaller crowd than usual, it'll boost the players involved that they'll have some crowd involvement.

[Darnhill Claret]

It would help everyone if next seasons comps were a straight knockout from final 32 instead of groups.

[Darnhill Claret]

So no 3rd place Champions League defaulters for the Europa League. If they wanted to condense it further have one leg games on neutral grounds, especially if there are still no fans allowed.

[jrgbfc]

According to the BBC the Premier league are looking at starting next season on 12th September. Sounds about right.

[Blackrod]

The Champions League would be a whole load better if it was knockout imo instead of leagues, 2 legs and dead rubbers.

[tiger76]

It would help everyone if next seasons comps were a straight knockout from final 32 instead of groups.

I don't disagree, but i can think of several million reasons why many clubs won't approve of the change, but yes if they are serious about reducing fixture congestion that's a possible solution, i'll be if it happens though.

What's more likely is domestic cup competitions become straight one game KO'S, and possibly the lower league team is given home advantage, that's what they do in Germany.

How they're going to fit internationals into all this i have no idea, but they'll have to at least find a window for the Euro play-off's if nothing else.

[jrgbfc]

I don't disagree, but i can think of several million reasons why many clubs won't approve of the change, but yes if they are serious about reducing fixture congestion that's a possible solution, i'll be if it happens though.

What's more likely is domestic cup competitions become straight one game KO'S, and possibly the lower league team is given home advantage, that's what they do in Germany.

How they're going to fit internationals into all this i have no idea, but they'll have to at least find a window for the Euro play-off's if nothing else.

Apparently UEFA are determined to still play the Nations League. There's been talk of squeezing in 3 games into the international breaks instead of the usual 2.