UEFA sets up group to focus on coronavirus fixture impact

UEFA General Secretary Theodore Theodoridis (L) and UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin (R) attend the press conference during the 44th UEFA Congress in Amsterdam, Netherlands, March 3, 2020. /VCG

UEFA has set up a working group with the European Leagues association to handle any fixture fall-out caused by coronavirus-related postponements.

With

Euro 2020

qualifying play-offs penciled in for later in March, as well as knock-out rounds in the Champions League and Europa League, UEFA admits it will be tough to reschedule games.

"We met with the European Leagues yesterday to create a coordination group to face the situation and find the best possible solutions," said UEFA general secretary Theodore Theodoridis at UEFA's congress in Amsterdam on Tuesday.

"The calendar is congested and it is difficult to find space, working together is where we will find solutions."

UEFA's flagship competition, Euro 2020, will be held from June in 12 cities across Europe but for the moment Theodoridis says the organization is focused on the March games.

"We have been working on different scenarios. The Euro start in June. We have matches coming in next weeks. We don't want to share further details. The more urgent matters are coming in next two weeks. But there are plans for everything," he said.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks during the 44th Ordinary UEFA Congress in Amsterdam, Netherlands, March 3, 2020. /VCG

Meanwhile, UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said he was confident European football's governing body could deal with any worst-case scenario in relation to the upcoming Euro 2020 as the continent battles to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

"You don't know how many concerns we have when we organize a big competition," Ceferin said at a press conference after the UEFA Congress.

"We have security concerns, we have political instability concerns, and one of the concerns is also the virus, and we are dealing with it and we are confident we can deal with it."

His comments came after FIFA President Gianni Infantino, addressing the Congress, urged authorities "not to panic."

Italy's football schedule has been thrown into disarray

by the new coronavirus, and the bosses of Inter Milan have already lashed out at league president Paolo Dal Pino for what they view as completely random scheduling decisions that favor specific teams.

(With input from AFP and Reuters)