UEFA Tells Clubs to Finish the Season or Forget about a Champions League Slot

Back in the medieval days of the North Sea Empire, the Viking King Canute decided it was time to make a point.

Maybe it had religious overtones, or maybe dude was just tired of the brown-noses in his court -- the dense fog of history has obscured his reason -- but he ordered the entire crew to follow him down to the local shore and bring his throne with them.

Canute had it plopped down on the shoreline, whereupon he parked his patootie and ordered the incoming tide not to lay a bit of wetness on his royal self.

 

The tide, of course, only obeyed the laws of nature, which was the purpose of Canute's exercise.

Seems like UEFA could use a visit from King Canute.

It's been quite clear for a few months, now, that the Covid-19 virus isn't taking orders from anyone, especially not anyone in the sporting world. The last time we checked, that'd include UEFA, but it obviosity didn't stop them from issuing a decree that might wind up flying in the face of reality.

 

UEFA has made it known that every team under its jurisdiction had damn well better complete its domestic season or else.

And that else is banishment from the Champions League, Europa League, and any other international club competition it might dream up.

 

Wait'll the pandemic demons get hold of that letter.

They'll well and truly confirm -- as opposed to UEFA -- they have an amazing grasp of the obvious.

 

It's already dawned on UEFA that June isn't looking all that great for the national leagues to resume their operations.

The Belgians had already signaled their intentions to bag it for the year. Club Brugge has a 15-point cushion on second-place Gent, so they're good with handing them the title and sorting out the promotion-relegation niceties later.

England are also trying to resolve their situation, with Liverpool waiting to hear if they'd done enough to convince officials that they've earned the Premier League championship.

 

Not according to UEFA.

OGs feel they're doing their part by informing all 55 national conferences that they're putting international competitions on hold so as to clear more dates in order to achieve their decree.

• Euro 2020 has already been postponed,
• As have various international youth tournaments.
• Scheduled Nations League matches could start in October, while
• World Cup 2022 qualifying would move up to November.

On the other side of the Atlantic, those around the American college football scene are now beginning to wonder if their upcoming season is gonna be wiped out completely. One has to wonder what they know that UEFA doesn't.

 

Neither does Covid-19.

The sooner UEFA does a Canute by accepting this and coming up with alternative contingencies that won't wind up having knock-on effects for season schedules in subsequent years, the better.