Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo reckons the winner of the 2019/20 Champions League should be whoever knocked out holders Liverpool, if the competition can’t be completed.
The coronavirus has caused havoc all over the world, and football is no different, but the Spaniard thinks he’s cracked how to award Europe’s most illustrious honour if its restart is hampered — give it to Atleti!
As quoted by Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, Cerezo claims this would be a just way to end the competition. “In the hypothetical case that the Champions League was not played [due to] the coronavirus, then the champion is … the one who beat the champion,” he said.
“There are still a few knockout games left, the quarterfinals, the semis and the final. We understand that UEFA [will try] to centralise all these matches in one city, there was talk of Spain, Portugal … 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.“
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Opinion
This has to be the most desperate and self-interested thing we’ve heard in a very long time!
In the instance the Champions League cannot be completed, there is no chance Atletico will be awarded the title just because they beat us.
There are four teams who have earned the right to be in the quarter-finals this year, with four more having one foot in the next round, to award it to Atleti because they beat the holders is unfair.
In the same vein, if we’d have knocked out the Spaniards, we very much doubt the hierarchy at Anfield would be calling for Liverpool to be named the 2020/21 European Champions – effectively the same solution Cerezo has conjured up.