Champions League and Europa League: Everything you need to know about the 'final eight' tournaments

In normal times, footballers all over Europe would currently be preparing for the new season ahead.

However, because of delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic, we're only at the quarter finals stage of both the Champions League and Europa League.

Manchester City will be hoping they can go all the way in the Champions League.

Manchester United and Wolves will be battling it out to win the Europa League.

To do so, they'll have to win a 'mini' knockout tournament. Here is everything you need to know about it.

Mini tournament

There isn't time before the 2020/2021 seasons starts in September to run the full Champions League schedule.

So instead, bosses at UEFA have devised a mini eight team knockout tournament.

The quarter-finals will be held across this week. The semi-finals will be held next week.

The Europa League final will then be held on Friday 21 August, with the Champions League final two days later on Sunday 23 August.

Knockout

Champions League and Europa League knockout matches are usually held over two matches with the winner decided on the result of the two matches put together.

However, with the new season approaching rapidly, the tournament has been shrunk down into single knockout ties.

If the teams are tied after 90 minutes, the games will go to extra time and then to penalties to decide a winner.

Neutral venues

To ensure that there are no unfair home advantages, UEFA is hosting the tournaments in neutral countries.

The Champions League mini tournament will be held in the Portuguese city of Lisbon.

Two stadiums will host the quarter-final and semi-final matches: Sporting's Estadio Jose Alvalade and Benfica's Estadio da Luz.

The final will be played at Estadio da Luz.

The Europa League mini tournament will be held in Germany.

The stadiums hosting matches are Koln's RheinEnergieStadion, Duisburg's MSV-Arena, Fortuna Dusseldorf's Merkur Spiel-Arena and Schalke's Arena AufSchalke.

Koln's RheinEnergieStadion has been confirmed as the venue for the 2020 Europa League final.

No Fans

Atletico's win over Liverpool in the Round of 16 was one of the last football matches to have fans in attendance

It's probably no surprise that there will be no fans in the stadiums to see their teams battle it out for Champions League and Europa League glory.

Due to fears over the spread of coronavirus, fans haven't been allowed into football matches since March.

One of the last football matches with spectators was Atletico Madrid's 3-2 victory over Liverpool at Anfield at the last-16 stage of the Champions League.

When Atletico play in their quarter final tie against RB Leipzig in Lisbon on Wednesday, it will have been 155 days since their victory over Liverpool.

Atalanta

It's the first time in their history that Italian side, Atalanta, have made it through to the quarter finals of the Champions League.

They play Paris St Germain for the chance to make it through to the semi-finals.

Just ten years ago the club from Bergamo were in the Italian Second division, Serie B.

This season they have already recorded a 3rd place fnish in Serie A, which involved scoring a division-high 98 goals!

Who do you think will win the two tournaments? Will it be success for Manchester in both tournaments or will Wolves bag the Europa League title? Let us know in the comments.