U19 European Championships cancelled for 2nd straight year

The annual Under-19 European Championships in men's and women's soccer were canceled for the second straight year.

UEFA said government-imposed rules amid the coronavirus pandemic led to the decision.

''The traveling of teams and staging of mini-tournaments would prove very difficult,'' UEFA said.

The men's tournament was to have more than 50 countries playing in qualifying groups in March, leading to an eight-team final event in Romania starting June 30.

Women's qualifiers were scheduled in April ahead of a final tournament in Belarus in July.

The 2020 editions were canceled in Northern Ireland and Georgia, respectively for men and women.