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Virus at the right place and time Israel today

2020-08-06T17:28:43.808Z


| World footballAround the world are jealous of the renewal of the Champions League and the European League, and want to follow them • The African equivalent will come to an end only because of luck • In Asia they found a partial and cumbersome solution • And in North America and the center just do not know what to do • Champions in Corona The fans count the minutes. In South America they are still waiting Pho...


Around the world are jealous of the renewal of the Champions League and the European League, and want to follow them • The African equivalent will come to an end only because of luck • In Asia they found a partial and cumbersome solution • And in North America and the center just do not know what to do • Champions in Corona

  • The fans count the minutes. In South America they are still waiting

    Photo: 

    IP

The return of the Champions League tomorrow, five months after the Corona virus stored it somewhere between the eighth and quarter-finals, is a happy and important event for European football. If on days like theirs the Champions League brings with it prestige, revenue, high viewing rates and of course football at the highest level, then on tropical days like these its importance is even greater.

The renewal of the games, even if in a different format, symbolizes a kind of return to normalcy. There are many reasons why Europe is the first continent to return the international plant, from treating the virus and returning local leagues to activity under sterile conditions to the relatively short distances between countries, and the possibility of grouping several teams in one destination. So the question arises, what happens to the Champions Leagues on the other continents where the conditions are less favorable? The answer, in short - not as good as in Europe.

The Copa Libertadores, the glittering South American continental tournament, was halted in March after just two rounds in the home leg. It has 32 teams from Corona-beaten countries and a long way to go. "Crossing the border and moving to Brazil ... is not such a good idea," Argentine President Alberto Fernandez said. "I understand football is a business," he added, "but right now the corona virus is living in South America." Despite this, and despite high morbidity in the continent, the South American Association announced that the tournament would resume on September 15 and end in January 2020.

Although there are contagious teams from Chile, Bolivia and Ecuador, almost all local leagues are returning to routine in order to get ready for the reopening of the tournament. Those who will be less prepared are the five Argentine representatives. After 170 days of uncertainty, it was only this week that it was decided to return them to training on August 10, leaving them with very little time to prepare. Their request for further rejection was denied.

Longing for the Libertadores Cup. So when are you coming back? // Photo: AP

In North and Central America the tournament stopped in the quarterfinals and no announcement has yet been made by the association regarding the sequel. The main problems in this area are the dates and the fact that the World Cup qualifiers will open in October and the corona raging in the US and Mexico.

Between Morocco and Egypt

In Africa, the renewal of the Champions League was supposed to be much simpler. For them, the tournament was stopped in the semi-finals, when two representatives from Morocco - Widad and Raja Casablanca, and two from Egypt - Al-Ahly and Zamalek - reached this stage.

The original plan was to hold out-of-home meetings, as is customary these days, but the African Federation announced that due to the morbidity situation in these countries, the semi-finals would be held in September, in the Cameroonian city of Duala, and decided in one game. But it was not long before Cameron announced that it was canceling the accommodation due to the corona virus and seasonal precipitation.

African Cup of Champions. Flick-plaque back // Photo: AFP

 Egypt, Tunisia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have offered to host the Games, but the African Federation has backfired and announced a return to Program A. The teams from Casablanca will host the first game on September 25 and 26, then fly back to Egypt a week later. If the final is a Moroccan derby or an Egyptian derby, it will take place in the country, and if it is a meeting between a Moroccan and an Egyptian team - it will take place in mid-October in a neutral target that has not yet been set.

The Asian tangle

Finding a target is the biggest hurdle of the Asian Champions League, which was stopped at the home stage. Many countries on the continent have managed to stem the outbreak of the virus but have closed their borders, others have enacted illogical isolation laws. Due to this, there were voices calling for the cancellation of the Champions League, but there is an impression that a kind of solution has been found. Qatar will host the four-house games of the western region starting on September 14, Malaysia will host two houses from the eastern region starting on October 16, and the two remaining houses are still unresolved.

As can be understood, the European Champions League is the exception, but, at the same time, every effort is made in the rest of the continents to return to normalcy.

Source: israelhayom

All sports articles on 2020-08-06

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