According to The Mirror, UEFA are considering a plan for a mini-tournament which would see Rangers face Bayer Leverkusen in Poland in August.
Both the Champions League and Europa League competitions were halted in mid-March amid the global health crisis and no concrete plans have yet been put in place for either to restart.
However, UEFA have consistently stated their desire to complete the current campaigns and plans will be discussed with all 55 member associations via videoconference today [Monday].
It’s suggested that each competition could be played to a conclusion via ‘mini-tournaments’ in the cities due to host the finals. That would mean the second leg of Rangers vs Bayer Leverkusen would be played out in Gdansk, while the final rounds of the Champions League would take place in Istanbul.
The proposed date for the Gers’ outstanding fixture is currently 6 August, allowing quarter-finals to be played between 13-16, semi-finals between 20-23 and the final on 27th.
Verdict
There a lot of uncertainties surrounding the game right now, with the Bundesliga the only major European league within touching distance of a restart.
Given that individual associations are struggling to draw up plans to bring football back, it’s going to be extremely difficult for UEFA to coordinate and resume their own competitions involving teams from across the continent.
However, the idea of playing out the remaining matches in one city appears to be a sound one and it’ll be interesting to see what progress is made during today’s meeting.
It’s impressive that Rangers are still in the competition at this advanced stage but given that they trail a highly talented Bayer Leverkusen side 3-1 going into the second leg, it’s unlikely they will progress any further.
