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Uefa considers August and September tournament to complete Women's Champions League

Lyon's Welsh midfielder Jess Fishlock (L) and Lyon's French defender Wendie Renard celebrate after the UEFA Women's Champions League fi - Tobias SCHWARZ / AFP
Lyon's Welsh midfielder Jess Fishlock (L) and Lyon's French defender Wendie Renard celebrate after the UEFA Women's Champions League fi - Tobias SCHWARZ / AFP

Uefa is considering an August and September tournament to finish this year’s Women’s Champions League, Telegraph Sport understands.

No matches have been played in the competition since October 31, 2019 because the quarter-final matches - which were due to be played on Wednesday March 25 - were postponed owing to the coronavirus pandemic.

While women’s leagues have been terminated around the world - including England’s Women’s Super League, France’s Division 1 Feminine and Spain’s Primera División de la Liga de Fútbol Femenino - there has been little news on the Women’s Champions League. Lyon, Bayern Munich, Atlético Madrid, Barcelona, Arsenal, PSG, Glasgow City and Wolfsburg are the eight remaining teams.

Telegraph Sport understands that Uefa’s working group - containing representatives from leagues and clubs - is examining a number of options for completing the Women’s Champions League, one of which involves a tournament between the eight remaining clubs. Although European football’s governing body has not yet reached a decision, it is likely they will be closer to an outcome when its executive committee meets on June 17.

The new 2020-21 WSL season is provisionally scheduled to begin in September, but the Football Association knows that this is subject to change. Telegraph Sport understands that the governing body began earlier this week to review the scope of and potential for delays to any September start.

They plan to consult with clubs, then the FA board, next week to finalise a start date for the 2020-21 season, but it will depend on Uefa’s decision regarding the Women’s Champions League and the FA are understood to have requested a timeline from Uefa regarding when they are likely to reach a decision. An update on the Women’s FA Cup - which has not been suspended - will accompany the FA’s announcement on the new season.

The original WSL return date - September 27- was set before the postponement of the Olympics, but other scenarios were repeatedly mooted when the possibility of completing the 2019-20 league season in full remained live. The WSL and Championship were cancelled on Monday.

A Uefa spokesperson said: “A working group has been set up with the participation of representatives from the leagues and clubs to examine calendar solutions and format options that would allow for the completion of the current season.”