ATHENS — The Champions League and Europa League group draws will be held in Athens in October, government spokesperson Stelios Petsas announced on Wednesday, adding that the awards for top football players of the year would also take place there as well.

According to Petsas ,"The UEFA executive committee unanimously decided that the group draws for Champions League, Europa League and all the awards for the best football players will be held in October at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre in Athens."

Petsas also said that "UEFA's decision to chose Greece is a vote of confidence in our country, as it constitutes the first major UEFA event after the end of the restriction measures against the spread of the coronavirus".

UEFA's decision significantly contributes to Greece's international promotion as a modern and safe country that is in position to host top level events, he underlined.

The same announcement also said that "Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' phone call to UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin played a crucial role in finalising the decision."