With borders closed to all but essential travel, the Champions League’s traditional home-and-away format was abandoned and replaced by an eight-team knockout tournament in a single city, Lisbon. The new format, born out of crisis, was a hit, produced thrilling matches, soaked in jeopardy, and huge global television audiences. The changes proved so popular with Champions League organizers, in fact, that they are giving serious consideration to incorporating some of them permanently. As Chelsea and Manchester City prepare to meet Saturday in this season’s final, leaders of European soccer’s governing body, which runs the Champions League, are preparing to unveil a plan to change the format of the final stages of the competition. They have alighted on a “champions week” concept in which two winner-take-all semifinals and the final will be played in one city, and supplemented by a schedule of concerts, games and other events.

Source: International New York Times May 27, 2021 14:53 UTC