UEFA has announced that the 2020/21 edition of the Youth League has been cancelled due to the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions across Europe.
Last year, the governing body decided to change the format to straight knockout in a bid to cut down on games, but a statement released on Wednesday confirmed that the competition will not proceed at all.
UEFA also confirmed that there is "no possibility" that the tournament can be run off later in the year.
The statement read: "The UEFA Executive Committee today decided to cancel the 2020/21 edition of the UEFA Youth League due to the Covid-19 pandemic and its effects on the staging of competitions.
"The committee had initially decided last year to amend the format of the competition and to delay its start, but the various measures imposed by health authorities around Europe have continued to evolve since then. The travelling restrictions affecting participating clubs create major difficulties for organising their matches and two clubs have already withdrawn from the competition.
"The UEFA Executive Committee stressed that there is no possibility to further postpone the start of the competition and that the health and safety of youth players must be given highest possible priority.
"Regrettably, the conditions to restart this international youth competition are not met in the current circumstances and both the UEFA Club Competitions Committee and the European Club Association were consulted and supported the idea to exceptionally cancel this season's UEFA Youth League."
Waterford FC, the Under-19 National League champions, had already pulled out of their tie with Sweden's Hammerby earlier this month citing an inability to train during Level 5 as one of the reasons.
