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UEFA move Champions League group stage draw from Athens

The draw will take place on 1 October
The draw will take place on 1 October

The Champions League group stage draw has been moved from Athens and will now be a behind-closed-doors event at UEFA's headquarters in Switzerland.

European football's governing body confirmed the news on Tuesday, saying to stage the event in the Greek capital would "violate public health restrictions and constraints regarding indoor events" in the country.

The draw for the Champions League will take place on the evening of Thursday, 1 October, with UEFA then announcing the best player in the competition from the previous season.

The following day the Europa League group stage draw for 2020-21 will take place and the Europa League player of the season prize for 2019-20 will be revealed.

"UEFA wishes to thank the Greek authorities and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre for their outstanding work and commitment in planning for the event," a statement read.

"UEFA is looking forward to coming back to Greece for one of its future events in the coming years." 

The Champions League proper is due to start at a much later date than usual due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on football's global calendar, with the group stage beginning on 20 October.

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