Lyon 'announce' Champions League return for 7 August
Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas, has expressed fears the French sides will be massacred in Europe's elite competition due to the cancellation of French domestic football this season.
Jean-Michel Aulas, the president of Lyon, has leaked the supposed date for a return to European football competition, saying "Our game against Juventus is confirmed for 7 August, in Turin, behind closed doors. If the appeals are not successful Lyon and PSG run the risk of being massacred by teams that have had preparation other teams have not."
French league 19/20 cancelled
The French league has been wrapped up, with no professional sports allowed in France until September, meaning the French teams will play no competitive football before the Champions League games, while in principle the other major leagues in Europe are planning to finish their 19/20 seasons.
The Champions League still has the second leg of the following ties to play: Juventus-Lyon, Manchester City-Real Madrid, Bayern-Chelsea and Barcelona-Napoli. Atalanta, Leipzig, Atlético and PSG have qualified for the quarter-finals. Lyon beat Juventus 1-0 in the first leg at home.
According to the Lyon president, UEFA are drawing up the health and safety protocols for the games and spoke critically of the decision not to play out the French season: "This crisis will mean losses of 900 million euros for French football this season. It will scar us for life. I don't know who can survive. There was no need. In Europe we are the exception."
"It's a premature decision and maybe not entirely legal, because UEFA indicated that the leagues would be played out. Other countries have allowed their competitions to finish," he continued.