fbpx

Lisbon Covid-19 spike won’t halt Champions League

UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin has stated that the Champions League will continue in Portugal as planned, despite a Covid-19 spike in Lisbon that could derail the elite club football competition.

UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin has stated that the Champions League will continue in Portugal as planned, despite a Covid-19 spike in Lisbon that could derail the elite club football competition.

Portugal was chosen as the destination to stage the conclusion of the Champions League in August, with the major competition having been postponed since March due to Covid-19.

However, from July 1st, a setback has seen 19 neighbourhoods north of Portugal’s host city Lisbon going back into lockdown, with gatherings limited to just five people.

Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa held discussions with Čeferin, as well as Portuguese Football Federation (PFF) President Fernando Gomes via video call on June 30th before the mini-tournament gets underway in August.

“I would like to thank the Portuguese prime minister Antonio Costa for his dedication to this project and the work he is doing alongside the Portuguese Football Federation to ensure that Portugal delivers a successful tournament,” Čeferin said in a statement.

“I am confident that with the continued and constant collaboration between all stakeholders, we will conclude the season in a positive way in Lisbon. There is no need for a ‘Plan B’.”

At this stage, the Champions League restart will take place as planned on the following dates, as single-leg knockout ties will decide this year’s winner:

August 7-8: Round of 16 second legs
August 12-15: Quarter-finals (Lisbon)
August 18-19: Semi-finals (Lisbon)
August 23: Final (Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica, Lisbon)

Champions League ties from the quarter-finals onwards will be split between Benfica’s Stadium of Light and Sporting Lisbon’s Estádio José Alvalade.

The final-eight part of the tournament will begin from August 12, with some fixtures still to be decided. Half of the round of 16 ties have been completed – Paris Saint-Germain, Atlético Madrid, RB Leipzig and Atalanta made it through to the quarter-finals.

The round of 16 second legs yet to be played are Juventus vs Lyon (0-1), Manchester City vs Real Madrid (2-1), Bayern vs Chelsea (3-0) and Barcelona vs Napoli (1-1). Venues for the remaining Round of 16 contests have not been confirmed yet.

Liam Watson is the Managing Editor at Soccerscene. He reports widely on football policy, industry matters and technology.

Tigres secures deal for new 65,000 seat stadium

Mexican soccer giants Tigres UANL have secured a deal to see a brand new 65,000 seat stadium ready by 2025.

Mexican soccer giants Tigres UANL have secured a deal to see a brand new 65,000 seat stadium ready by 2025.

The stadium will be based in the heart of San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo León, and will be replacing the old 42,000 seat stadium, known as Estadio Universitario, The previous stadia has been the home of Tigres since 1967.

The new stadium was presented on Thursday, January 13 at a meeting that included Governor of Nuevo León and Samuel García, through a Memorandum of Understanding to commence construction.

Tigres’ future home was designed by architecture firm Populous and envisioned to be entirely privately financed at a cost of $445 million AUD.

The stadium’s features will include a retractable pitch, as well as being able to host concerts and international sporting events like American football games.

As part of the overall plans, the stadium will include separate changing rooms for Tigres’ men’s and women’s teams, while the exterior stadia complex will complement with a hotel, shopping centre and restaurants. The venue is also intended to act as an incubator for local business, and will also have classrooms catering for the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL).

Juego de Pelota principle partner, César Esparza:

“There is going to be another setting for concerts and sport,” he said.

“It is a stadium prepared to host all sports, this stadium will be the postcard of Nuevo León.

“Stadium events will not be expensive for fans, as long as it has that capacity it will allow us to create different price levels for events, becoming inclusive for all people.”

UANL Tigres parent company member, Mauricio Doehner:

“Today Tigres is internationally recognised and we are always striving for more,” he said.

“Of course we deserve a new stadium, it will be the headquarters in this new era. Today, Tigres is not only a benchmark in Mexican soccer, but also on an International stadium. The Estadio Universitario has given greatness to Club Tigres and all the fans, we will honour it forever.”

Melbourne Victory names Marnong Estate as Premier Partner

Melbourne Victory has announced Marnong Estate as a Premier Partner for the 2021/22 Isuzu Ute A-League Men's season.

Melbourne Victory has announced Marnong Estate as a Premier Partner for the 2021/22 Isuzu Ute A-League Men’s season.

Marnong Estate is the Official Naming Rights Partner of the A-Lounge, providing its premium wines in the A-Lounge and Corporate Suite Foyers for tasting sessions, as well as in all Melbourne Victory’s Corporate Suite drinks packages.

As one of Melbourne’s biggest wineries, Marnong Estate also has its own boutique accommodation, as well as being able to host weddings and other functions.

Melbourne Victory Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie:

“We’re incredibly excited to be partnering with Marnong Estate and bringing a taste of their premium experience to our match days,” she said.

“Marnong Estate is an incredible facility that contributes to the local community by providing an authentic cultural and historical experience and we would love our members and fans to experience the beautiful views, food and wine as they visit Marnong itself.”

Marnong Estate General Manager, Stewart Malone:

“We are very passionate about wine, hospitality, and agriculture. The other thing we are passionate about is football and there is no greater opportunity for us than to partner with Melbourne Victory and their incredible match day experience,” he said.

“We’re excited to promote our premium wine, amazing dining options and the estate’s farm-to-fork facilities in front of one of the most dedicated fan bases in Australia.”

For more on Marnong Estate, you can find it here.

© 2021 Soccerscene Industry News. All Rights reserved. Reproduction is prohibited.

Most Popular Topics

Editor Picks