Paris (AFP)
The French Football Federation (FFF) has suspended all its competitions and activities "until further notice", starting with the female D1, due to the spread of the coronavirus, she announced Thursday.
The FFF clarified to AFP that this decision does not for the moment not call into question the matches of preparation for Euro-2020 of the team of France, planned at the end of March against Ukraine and Finland (the 27 and 31) behind closed doors in Saint-Denis. But major meetings within UEFA, scheduled for Tuesday, could ratify their cancellation, while the virus affects several clubs in Europe and pushes players to containment.
As for the holding of the final of the Coupe de France between PSG and Saint-Etienne, initially scheduled at the Stade de France on April 25, it is pending and will depend on the evolution of the health situation, have we added.
The immediate suspension concerns "all the activities and competitions managed by the Federation, its leagues and its districts, throughout the territory", said the president of the FFF Noël Le Graët in a press release. The professional championships of Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 being organized by the League (LFP), they are not affected by this measure.
"Thus, all the female and male amateur championships, of all age categories, the various tournaments and rallies, the training and the activity of football schools are interrupted from tomorrow Friday March 13, and until further They will resume as soon as sanitary conditions allow, "continued the leader, who spoke after announcements from Emmanuel Macron, who called Thursday evening for" sacred union "in the face of the" most serious health crisis "that France has known for a century.
In the very short term, this implies that the clash at the top of the women's D1 between Paris SG and Lyon, initially scheduled for Saturday at 3.30 p.m., will not take place. Nor does the next day of the National 1 championship, supposed to start on Friday.
The Professional Football League must meet on Friday morning to decide whether or not to suspend the L1 and L2, these two competitions being for the moment planned behind closed doors.
© 2020 AFP