UEFA has decided to allow fans at 30 percent capacity of stadiums in the upcoming group stage games of the Champions League and Europa League. The final decision will rely on the guidelines set by the local government.
Along with the club games, UEFA is also set to allow fans for the Nations League games during the international break in October.
This update from UEFA will provide some relief to European clubs as they have lost a big chunk of matchday revenue since June as games were played behind closed doors. The knockout games of the 2019/20 season of the Champions League and Europa League took place at neutral venues without fans.
The English clubs are unlikely to benefit from UEFA’s decisions as the UK government recently announced that fans will not go to the stadium anytime soon due to rise in coronavirus cases. Meanwhile, Germany has already seen fans at the stadium in the Bundesliga games.
UEFA had a test run of having spectators in the stadium last week during the UEFA Supercup between Bayern Munich and Sevilla in Budapest. This is a bold move from UEFA since there is a risk of a second wave of coronavirus in Europe. Financially, it will ease pressure on clubs.