Mumbai:The finest clubs across Europe are gearing up to battle it out to be crowned as continental champions as governing body UEFA is all set to resume the competitions.
Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN), the official broadcaster of UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League in India, is all set to broadcast the return of top-tier European football tournaments.
The resumption of 2019/20 UEFA Champions League and Europa League brings along some of the anticipated matches of the season and for the first time in the history of these tournaments, the matches from the quarter-finals to the finals will be played as a straight knockout tournament.
Fans can catch the biggest Europeans teams battle for the ultimate football throne, live, from August 5 on SONY TEN 1 and SONY TEN 2 channels and the quarter-final stages for the Champions League matches will be aired with hindi commentary on SONY TEN 3 channels.
The resumption of 2019/20 UEFA Champions League will start with the remaining Round of 16 second-leg matches and will have Manchester City take on Real Madrid; Barcelona face Napoli; Bayern Munich welcome Chelsea to the Allianz Arena and Juventus host Lyon for the four pending spots in the quarter-finals. Clubs such as Atalanta BC, Paris Saint-Germain FC, RB Leipzig and Atletico Madrid have already paved their ways into the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
UEFA will also return with Europa League as top football clubs like Manchester United, F.C. Copenhagen, Sevilla FC among others will go head-to-head against each other for a spot in the quarter finals and to get one step closer to the second elite trophy in Europe.
Rajesh Kaul, Chief Revenue Officer, Distribution and Head – Sports Business, Sony Pictures Networks India said: “It is our privilege to be the premier destination for maximum live global sporting events in India whether it is cricket or football. Sony Pictures Sports Network is home to the best footballing clubs in Europe with UEFA Champions League and Europa League.
“Football followers in India have felt the absence of these two tournaments and we are excited to bring back the live coverage of both these competitions in what will now be a power-pack fortnight of the best European footballing action, along with hindi commentary, for the last leg of the Champions League games,” he added.
Introduced in 1955 as the European Champion Clubs’ Cup, it was initially a straight knockout tournament open only to the champion club of each national championship.
The competition took on its current name in 1992, adding a round-robin group stage and allowing multiple entrants from certain countries.The competition has been won by 22 clubs, 12 of which have won it more than once.
Real Madrid is the most successful club in the tournament’s history, having won it 13 times, including its first five seasons.
Liverpool are the reigning champions, having beaten Tottenham Hotspur 2–0 in the 2019 final. (IANS)
