New on Sports Illustrated: Report: Champions League Final to be Moved From Istanbul

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The tournament was in the middle of its round of 16 when it was suspended in mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Champions League final, which was set to be played at Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, will not be held there due to the coronavirus pandemic,

according to The New York Times.

UEFA, European soccer's governing body and the event's organizer, is "considering a number of alternative venues" as it looks to finish the competition. The tournament was in the midst of its round of 16 when it was suspended in mid-March due to the virus.

With domestic leagues beginning to resume, UEFA is discussing how to finish the Champions League and Europa League in August. The Europa League final was scheduled to be played in Gdansk, Poland. 

According to the Times, a decision will be reached after the executive committee meets on June 17, and a working group has been established to mull "calendar solutions and format options" for finishing the season. That could reportedly include bringing all remaining clubs to one location to play out the competition.

UEFA reportedly plans to talk with Turkish officials next week. Istanbul could be selected to host the final at a later date. Lisbon is reportedly a top candidate to take over hosting duties.

Atletico Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Atalanta and RB Leipzig had qualified for the Champions League quarterfinals when the competition paused in March. Four other second-leg matches have yet to be played: Manchester City vs. Real Madrid, Juventus vs. Lyon, Bayern Munich vs. Chelsea and Barcelona vs. Napoli. 

The final was originally set to be played on May 30 but was tentatively moved to the end of August after the suspension of the competition and the domestic leagues across the continent.

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