UEFA Latest – Celtic face one leg, knock-out Champions League Qualifiers in August

CELTIC will play in the Champions League qualifiers in August and will have to negotiate a tricky period of one-off knock-out games to reach the Group Stages. Here are the relevant dates for both the Champions League and the Europa League for the new season.

Each round ahead of the final Play-off round will be decided on the night with just one game ie the game will be played to a conclusion. And whether the games are at home or away will be left to the luck of the draw, as we told you earlier today.

UEFA as expected announced their plans to conclude both the Champions League and Europa League this season. Plans have been agreed to use new venues for the remainder of the Champions League and Europa League fixtures for the 2019/20 season.

The remaining last 16 Champions League matches will either be moved to Portugal or played in the original venues.

When the last eight has been decided, a new format will all be played out in Lisbon at the Estadio da Luz and Estadio José Alvalade. This will take place from 12-23 August to determine the winner of this season’s Champions League. A draw to decide the fixtures will take place on 10 July.

So the key-dates are as follows:

Quarter-finals: 12-15 August

Semi-finals: 18-19 August

Final: 23 August

As a result of these plans, the venues for upcoming continental finals will be moved forward by a year to compensate for losing out on this season’s edition.

For example, the 2021 Champions League final will be played in Istanbul, which should have hosted the 2020 final, while St Petersburg has the honour for 2022, Munich 2023 and Wembley 2024.

New signings cannot be used in this season’s competition, but teams will be allowed to use up to five substitutes per game.

The 2020/21 Champions League group stage will not begin until October 2020.

In the Europa League, remaining games will be played across four cities in Germany: Duisburg, Gelsenkirchen, Düsseldorf and Cologne. Last 16 ties where the first leg wasn’t played will see the clubs meet in Germany for a one-legged fixture. The ‘final eight’ format in the Europa League will take place over 11 days from 10-21 August.

The European Super Cup will take place on 24 September in Bucharest. This season’s Women’s Champions League will be completed in Bilbao and San Sebastián, with the final taking place on 30 August.

And the Scotland national team will return to action in September before playing their Euro 2020 play-off matches in October and November.

UEFA has announced the return of its international and club competitions as football starts to emerge from its Coronavirus shutdown.

A UEFA Executive Committee meeting confirmed Scotland will play Nations League ties against Israel and the Czech Republic in September, then take on Israel again on 8 October in the Euro 2020 qualifying play-off match, with the winners facing either Serbia or Norway on 12 November 12 for a place at next summer’s Euros.


About Author

The Celtic Star founder and editor, who has edited numerous Celtic books over the past decade or so including several from Lisbon Lions, Willie Wallace, Tommy Gemmell and Jim Craig. Earliest Celtic memories include a win over East Fife at Celtic Park and the 4-1 League Cup loss to Partick Thistle as a 6 year old. Best game? Easy 4-2, 1979 when Ten Men Won the League. Email editor@thecelticstar.co.uk

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