Atletico Madrid President Offers Totally Fair, Definitely-Not-Biased Solution to Champions League Conundrum
By Adam Aladay
Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo has shared his thoughts on how to decide the winner of this year's Champions League if the remaining fixtures can't be completed.
Would you believe that Cerezo has suggested that it is his team, Atleti, who should be crowned champions of the competition as they knocked out holders Liverpool.
Nice try.
Atletico won the first leg of their round of 16 Champions League tussle with Liverpool back in February 1-0, and they booked their place in the quarter-finals of the competition after a 3-2 victory in the second leg at Anfield.
It was a pulsating contest, with Atletico scoring three times in extra-time to see off the defending champs. As it has turned out, this match was one of the last to be played before football was suspended across most of Europe due to the outbreak of the coronavirus.
With leagues now preparing to get their seasons back underway, UEFA have been looking to find a solution for European competitions. Lisbon is set to host the remaining Champions League fixtures, with a mini-tournament between 8-23 August to be ratified next week.
However, should it prove too challenging to restart the Champions League, Atletico president Cerezo has come up with his own solution...
"In the hypothetical case that the Champions League will not be played [because of] the coronavirus, then the champion would the one who beat the champion," Cerezo suggested.
Fair, right? Right? Anyway, it was worth a shot, Enrique.
"There are still a few knockout games left, the quarterfinals, the semis and the final," he added. "We understand that UEFA is trying to centralise all these matches in one city, there was talk of Spain, Portugal... [but] nothing is known yet.
"There are 11 games left, plus the final phase of the Champions League, which can be four games. I imagine that the Government is waiting to see how the pandemic evolves and will take the decision it considers."