Name: Aarran Summers (@aarransummers)
 
UEFA’s President, Aleksander Ceferin, revealed to beIN SPORTS that he has a concrete plan to finish the European season. Ceferin hopes to conclude the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Champions League in August. 

To assess how this could impact the domestic calendar and how advantageous this could become for clubs, I have looked at Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich. Two sides with very different schedules over the next three months.

Paris Saint-Germain’s latest domestic triumph means they will not kick a ball in a competitive fixture until the resumption of the Champions League. Leading football analysts say the break will hand them an advantage, while others will reflect that a lack of competitive football will hurt their chances.

The French government revealed that professional sports would not be allowed to return until September. It means Paris Saint-Germain will most certainly play the competition abroad and any warm-up games preceding that. It is not an ideal situation for the French champions; however, the club is actively looking at playing friendlies overseas. A handful of players, including Neymar, have revealed that they are training hard and waiting for the call to resume. 

Training alone, however rigorous, is no substitute for playing competitive football. Bayern Munich’s performance against Union Berlin on Sunday revealed the lack of match fitness on show. Bayern still have eight league games to play this season, so should, in theory, improve by the time the Champions League returns. It should give the German champions a massive advantage when compared to Paris Saint-Germain.
 
On the flip side, Bayern will have to contend with concerns over injuries. If Bayern’s title fight with Borussia Dortmund goes the distance, then players over-exerting themselves could become an issue. Eight league games and seven continental fixtures in the case of Bayern is a massive summer schedule for the Bundesliga giants. Particularly with the threat of COVID-19 ever-present in society. Fortunately for Hansi Flick’s side, they do hold a significant advantage in their round of 16, second leg tie, with Chelsea.

With the resumption of football in Germany, the clock is ticking for Italy, Spain and England to decide their respective campaigns. The longer they delay, the tighter the schedule will become, and that could be the difference between winning and losing in Europe. 

Ceferin will not budge – European football will finish this season, and the window is small. August is the magic month. UEFA have their decision and Ceferin has made it abundantly clear that the leagues have to make their own.

Bayern have a great chance. The Bundesliga made the first move on the proverbial chessboard. It could be checkmate to the rest of Europe.