UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin Admits Current Football Season Could Be Declared Void Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
Speaking to Italian newspaper La Repubblica, Ceferin said ‘If we don't succeed in restarting, the season will probably be lost. There is a plan A, B and C. The three options are to start again in mid-May, in June or at the end of June.’ ‘There is also the possibility of starting again at the beginning of the next [season], starting the following one later.'
The coronavirus pandemic has had a huge impact on the world with sporting competitions being either cancelled or suspended until further notice. Several domestic leagues and continental competitions along with the international tournaments have been put off until a further date due to COVID-19. There are rumours on the 2019-20 football season resuming again in mid-May or early June, however, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has admitted that the current campaign might be ruled out if the epidemic intensifies. UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin Urges English FA to Scrap Carabao Cup.
Speaking to Italian newspaper La Repubblica, Ceferin said ‘If we don't succeed in restarting, the season will probably be lost. There is a plan A, B and C. The three options are to start again in mid-May, in June or at the end of June.’ ‘There is also the possibility of starting again at the beginning of the next [season], starting the following one later. We will see the best solution for leagues and clubs.’ He added.
The cancellation of the season will have a huge impact on some of the clubs smaller as they will lose a part of their revenue. Many reports suggest that the game could go on without the fans inside a closed stadium but the Slovenian has acknowledged that he will not prefer to play games behind closed doors.
‘It's hard for me to imagine all the matches behind closed doors, but we still don't know whether we'll resume, with or without spectators,’ he said. ‘If there was no alternative, it would be better to finish the championships’ Ceferin added.
UEFA have a difficult start of coming out with an exact plan on how to restart the leagues across Europe as titles and relegation places are on the line. It is also understood that the governing body prefers the completion of the leagues over the continental competitions such as Champions League and Europa League.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 30, 2020 08:36 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).