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Opinion

Growing confidence league seasons will be completed as second European League boss explains plans

4 years ago
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Like every other major European League, La Liga is currently suspended.

Spain has been the second hardest hit European country so far, after Italy, by the Coronavirus.

However, despite the current widespread shutdowns, the La Liga President has now said ‘I am convinced that we are going to end the season.’

This follows on from Italian Football Federation President Gabriele Gravina putting out a similar message. That the domestic European leagues may well be able to belatedly complete their league seasons, if the 2020 Euros are postponed to summer 2021 to allow more time to complete the club football programme of matches.

La Liga president Javier Tebas also points to Tuesday’s key UEFA meeting, with surely now all but certain that the summer Euros will be delayed until next year.

Ahead of tomorrow’s UEFA meeting, the La Liga boss says he has been already talking to other European leagues, provisionally looking at dates that could be agreed between leagues on completing this current season and then of course any knock-on effect on the 2020/21 season.

The Premier League are having their own [next] emergency meeting on Thursday, after first seeing what Tuesday’s UEFA meeting decides.

The general theme when you are reading quotes and reports from various countries, is that April would be a month of hopefully a return to training and preparation but no competitive matches then early May to be aimed for as a time for games to kick off once again.

Obviously, as everybody always says as part of any conversation/debate about football restarting, this can only happen if governments are happy to first of all give the go ahead, based on expert advice from medical advisers etc.

Tackling the Coronavirus threat is of course the thing that dwarfs everything else but if club football is given the go ahead to resume, it doesn’t automatically mean that the two things are incompatible. As with all matters, getting the right balance is all important and the football authorities in all countries would need the explicit or implicit agreement of their governments to play matches once again.

La Liga president Javier Tebas talking to Cadena COPE:

“I am convinced that we are going to end the season.

“We are working with other leagues to match dates.

“I have had contacts with Italy and Germany.

“The approach for now is to see what happens on Tuesday with Euro 2020 and then decide.

“The news is to see how we can finish the championship if there is no Euro because, if not, we are going to have serious problems.

“We must be in good health, which is the first thing, of course.

“If the competitions are suspended, all team budgets will be compromised if the competition is not over, but I am convinced that it will end.”

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