Match TV will make sure the Champions League continues for its viewers by organising a cyber version of the football tournament. The Champions League matches have been suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic at the stage of the 1/8 final.
The same teams that made it to the real playoff of the main European tournament will take part in the Esports tournament on Match TV. Famous commentators and footballers, show business stars and bloggers, as well as Esports representatives will play for the football clubs. The Esports tournament on Match TV will be held as five live broadcasts from April 15 to 30. For the convenience of fans, they will all start at the same time - 22:20 MSK.
There will be two matches held each day for a total of 16 matches held over eight days. Two people will play for each team. In the Esports format, each half will be six minutes long. The pairings of the 1/8 final are made up in the same way as in the real Champions League.
The match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain will kick off the virtual tournament on April 15. Even though the real tournament yielded a quarter-finalist (the French champion) before the quarantine lockdown, Match TV will hold a replay of the action. TNT comedian Anton Shastun and Moscow’s Esports champion Alexander Salyukov will play for Borussia Dortmund, while Match TV’s commentator Denis Kazansky and Russia’s Esports champion Robert Fakhretdinov will represent PSG.
Then it will be the turn of Real Madrid and Manchester City. Euro 2008 bronze medallist Vladimir Bystrov and video blogger Nikita Kurylenko will play for the Spanish club. Meanwhile, the Premier League champions will be guided on the virtual field by two-time Russain football champion Maksym Kalynychenko and Esports coach Ivan Zanin.
Dmitry Shnyakin and Sergey Akulinin will host the tournament, while Karen Adamyan provides commentary. A special program, “Vse na Kibefutbol” (All to eFootball), will air before and after the cyber battles where all participants as well as guests will discuss the unique aspects of the Esports tournament.