UEFA President confident Champions League will finish this summer

As European soccer begins to resume, UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin says he expects Champions League to finish ‘by the end of August.’

After months without soccer, the Bundesliga’s return to action this weekend has sparked hope for many European soccer fans. Following the successful first round of matches in Germany, England’s Premier League resumed small-group training this week and is eying a return to competition as early as mid-June.

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin jumped on the bandwagon on Wednesday, suggesting that the Champions League will be finished by the end of August. But is he being too optimistic?

“Our plan is to finish between now and the end of August,” Ceferin said. “I think that will work. You never know what’s going to happen but things seem to be calming down.”

UEFA suspended Champions League and Europa League in mid-March, when both leagues were in the process of wrapping up the Round-of-16. He expects the domestic leagues to finish their seasons and then begin playing in the European competitions in early August.

“Eighty percent of European leagues are going to restart,” Ceferin said. “I don’t see why the Champions League and Europa League shouldn’t take place.”

La Liga is hoping to resume matches in the coming weeks and finish their season by the end of July. Serie A will be voting on May 28 to decide whether or not they will resume the 2020 season. Meanwhile, Ligue 1 decided not to finish their season and Paris Saint-Germain were given the title.

While many fans are eager for soccer to return, safety risks still loom and questions remain unanswered. Watford Captain Troy Deeney has been vocal in expressing his concerns about finishing the Premier League season. And in the first round of testing, six people from Premier League clubs tested positive for the virus.

Ceferin does not seem as concerned as some of the players.

“I don’t think that this virus will last forever,” Ceferin said. “I don’t like this apocalyptic view that we have to wait for the second or third waves or even a fifth wave.”

The UEFA President also stated that he does not believe the sport will change in any profound way after teams return.

“Football didn’t change after the Second World War, or the First World War,” Ceferin said. “And it will not change because of a virus either.”