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UEFA considering mini-tournament to complete 2019-2020 Champions League

UEFA Champions League could be back sooner than we thought! We break down the latest news around a potential localized mini-tournament.

UEFA Champions League Trophy during the Champions League match between Valencia and Lille at Estadio Mestalla on November 5, 2019 in Valencia, Spain. Photo by Pressinphoto/Icon Sport via Getty Images

UEFA’s Champions League has been suspended since March 12th, but there could be a chance to return and complete the season. UEFA is considering plans to play a localized mini-tournament from the quarterfinals onwards, according to German newspaper Bild (by way of ESPN).

Bild is reporting UEFA will announce host cities on June 17th, with Lisbon and Frankfurt competing as options. Lisbon is viewed as strong because they have two modern stadiums within five kilometers of each other, and Portugese teams have been eliminated — thus creating a neutral environment. Frankfurt is a central hub and has modern facilities, but it would give Bayern Munich a bit of an edge if they advance.

When the Champions League was suspended, Atalanta, RB Leipzig, Atletico Madrid, and Paris Saint-Germain had all completed the second leg of their round-of-16 matches and advanced to the quarterfinals. There were four remaining round-of-16 second legs still to be played, including Juventus vs. Lyon (won first leg 1-0), Manchester City (won first leg 2-1) vs. Real Madrid, Bayern Munich (won first leg 3-0) vs. Chelsea, and Barcelona vs. Napoli (tied first leg 1-1).

The finals are scheduled for Istanbul, but Turkey still has travel restrictions in place.