Coronavirus: UEFA pushes for season's completion
While it wants domestic leagues to restart and finish off, it may let some conclude without any play
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Club Brugge goalkeeper Simon Mignolet may have to wait for a while before celebrating his team's Belgian title win, after Uefa strongly recommended that European leagues complete their season.
PHOTO: REUTERS
GENEVA • Uefa yesterday gave a "strong recommendation" that European football federations should attempt to finish the current season, but it will produce guidelines for associations that want to end their campaign early.
All major football leagues across Europe, including the "Big Five" of England, Germany, Italy, Spain and France, have been suspended for over a month owing to the coronavirus pandemic.
The European Championship has been postponed until next year, while the Champions League and the Europa League are also on hiatus, with the round of 16 yet to be completed for both continental club competitions.
European football's governing body has made it clear that it wants its member associations to complete their domestic seasons rather than abandon them.
However, tomorrow would be the earliest date Uefa would accept the abandonment of leagues to avoid the possibility of being barred from European competitions.
All 55 member associations took part in a video conference call with Uefa officials yesterday.
No decisions on planning are expected until tomorrow's executive committee meeting and there was no sign of a hard switch from the current aim of facilitating a satisfactory conclusion to the term.
But it seems Uefa is amenable should the worst-case scenario transpire and leagues cannot restart or end owing to the Covid-19 crisis.
There was a softening in tone over eventual cases where league seasons may be axed - an outcome Uefa has previously been quick to oppose - at yesterday's meeting.
The governing body had previously said, in response to Belgium's proposal to conclude its championship with one round remaining in the regular season before the play-offs earlier this month, was "at this stage, premature and not justified".
An official statement said: "There was a strong recommendation given to finish domestic top division and Cup competitions, but some special cases will be heard once guidelines concerning participation in European competitions - in case of a cancelled league - have been developed."
As such, the Belgian Pro League yesterday decided to postpone its decision to become the first European league to officially conclude its season and declare Club Brugge champions.
The measure was unanimously approved by the league's board at the start of the month and was due to be rubber-stamped on Friday, but it will now meet next Monday.
The Scottish Premiership is also expected to wait until after tomorrow before proceeding on whether to declare leaders Celtic as champions for the ninth straight time.
Last week, Scotland's 42 professional clubs made a majority decision to end its lower tiers immediately, with the vote also applying to the top division.
On speculation that Uefa is looking to hold the Champions League and Europa League finals in the last week of August, it said the issue was not broached, with only a "variety of calendar options presented, covering both national team and club competition matches".
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS
