booked ..............................
🏆⚽️ 🥅 2020-21 UEFA Champions League & EUROPA League 🥅 ⚽️🏆
booked ..............................
booked .............................
Uefa Champions league 2020-21 preliminary round matches started, even before the 2019-20 edition ends.
Champions League: Linfield given bye through to first round after tie with Drita called off
Linfield players took part in a training session on Tuesday after their scheduled game against FC Drita was called offUefa has given Linfield a bye into the first qualifying round of the Champions League after their tie with Kosovan side Drita was called off on Tuesday.
The preliminary round final in Nyon was postponed just over an hour before kick-off after a second Drita player tested positive for Covid-19.
A Uefa statement issued on Wednesday confirmed that in line with their regulations Drita will forfeit the tie.
Linfield will face Legia Warsaw in Poland in the first round next Tuesday.
That tie will be played over one leg, with the winners at home to either Armenia Ararat or Omonia Nicosia and the losers entering the draw for the second qualifying round of the Europa League.
Tuesday's game had been set to go ahead in Switzerland despite Drita's first positive Covid-19 test last Friday.
Team quarantined
However, Uefa said that the second positive test on Monday prompted the Swiss authorities to put the whole Kosovan team into quarantine.
The postponed game had to be played by Friday under competition rules, which also indicated that the clubs concerned would be deemed responsible for failure to fulfil fixtures and the schedule.
The matter was submitted to the Uefa Control and Disciplinary Body, for a decision to be taken in accordance with Annex I of the 2020/21 Uefa Champions League Regulations, which was approved by the Uefa Executive Committee last week.
The relevant rules were drawn up in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
They dictate that the team that cannot play the match will be held responsible and deemed to have forfeited the game 3-0.
The Irish Premiership champions qualified for Tuesday's scheduled tie by beating San Marino champions Tre Fiori 2-0 in Nyon on Saturday.
Progression to the first qualifying round of the Champions League is set to boost the Blues' coffers by in the region of 250,000.
Ajaxs Champions League Group Stage spot confirmed
Ajax will definitely be in the Champions League group stages this season after Bayern Munichs 3-0 win over Lyon on Wednesday.Due to the coefficient placing the Netherlands in the 11th spot at the end of the 2018/19 season, the winner of the Eredivisie would only reach the Champions League group stage if the competitions winner had already qualified for the prestigious tournament.
Lyon will not be in the Champions League next season and they were the only threat to Ajaxs participation in the group stage. However, Bayern Munichs 3-0 win in the semi-final on Wednesday ended their hopes and confirmed Ajaxs place.
At the moment, Ajax are set to be in pot 3 of the Champions League draw, but that could change dependent on other results.
In a change to the format as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, each tie prior to the play-off round is played as a single-legged match hosted by one of the teams decided by draw, except for the preliminary round which is played at neutral venue. If scores are level at the end of normal time, extra time is played, followed by a penalty shoot-out if the scores remain tied.
The main pots for the 2020-21 UCL group stage draw (Oct 1)
Pot 1 (seeds): Bayern Munich, PSG, Inter Milan or Sevilla, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Juventus, Zenit St Petersburg, FC Porto (as UCL titleholder slot free) Pot 1 contains the champions of the top six leagues, plus European titleholders. As both UCL finalists (Bayern, PSG) are in Pot 1 as national champions, the place goes to the champions of the 7th-ranked league. This is Portugal, so FC Porto are promoted from Pot 3 to Pot 1.
Pot 2: Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Manchester City, Sevilla FC (if lose UEL final), Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund, Shakhtar Donetsk, Chelsea. Pot 2 can only change if Sevilla win the Europa League, elevating them into Pot 1. If so, Benfica move from Pot 3 to Pot 2 (if they come through qualifying). If Benfica are knocked out, Ajax move up. Ajax are now direct to groups due to PSG and Bayern qualifying domestically. With three English teams in Pot 2, Liverpool know they will be in the same group as one of: Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Shakhtar Donetsk, Sevilla FC/Benfica/Ajax. And if there are three Spanish teams in Pot 2 (so Sevilla do not win the UEL), Real Madrid will have to draw one of Manchester City, Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund, Shakhtar Donetsk,Chelsea.
Pots 3 and 4 are very much dependent on qualifying, but if the highest-ranked teams reach the group stage.
Pot 3: Benfica* or Inter Milan, Ajax, Dynamo Kiev*, FC Salzburg*, RB Leipzig, Olympiakos*, Lazio, Celtic* (*in qualifying) With FC Porto in Pot 1 to take the UCL titleholder slot, and the UEL titleholder being higher ranked, Celtic (if they qualify) will definitely be in Pot 3.
Pot 4 (subject to who qualifies): Atalanta, Lokomotiv Moscow, Marseille, Club Brugge, Borusssia Monchengladbach. Atalanta first for possible move up to Pot 3, but their coefficient is low and only once in last 8 seasons (last season) has it been good enough.