Covid-19: what end of season for European football?

Fans in need of football are getting impatient and clubs fear the financial consequences of the competition paralysis due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It is in this climate that UEFA issued, Tuesday, April 21, a "strong recommendation" to close the national championships and continental tournaments, while suggesting a recovery schedule. 

"A variety of scheduling options" for national and European club competitions were presented in a telephone meeting with the 55 member federations, the UEFA press release said. The latter also excluded the question of outright cancellation of the championships. According to sources cited by AFP, the European confederation could recommend, Thursday, April 23, at the meeting of its executive committee, to finish national competitions at the latest in early August, in order to be able to compete in the Champions League, suspended at stage of the 8th finals, during the month of August.

In an interview published Monday by the Italian daily Corriere della sera, UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said the European championships were ready to resume behind closed doors to limit the financial crisis, which is looming for many clubs. "It is too early to say that we cannot finish the season. The impact would be terrible for clubs and championships. It is better to play behind closed doors than not at all," he said. 

However, UEFA has no authority to impose its agenda and calendar on the National Leagues. If in the Netherlands, the Dutch Football Federation (KNVB) announced on Tuesday that "the professional football committee intends not to continue playing the 2019/20 competition", the resumption of the main European championships seems to clarify.

A resumption of Ligue 1 scheduled for mid-June

In France, where the deconfinement of the population is scheduled for May 11, two recovery scenarios are favored by the Professional Football League (LFP), according to the newspaper L'Équipe. The more plausible of the two calendars envisaged fixes the resumption on June 17, date on which would be played the 29th day of a Ligue 1, which would conclude, during the 38th and last day, during the weekend of July 25. For the national cups, the final of the Coupe de la Ligue would take place on June 27, and that of the Coupe de France on July 11. Always behind closed doors, even if this idea provokes the ire of the majority of groups of supporters of French clubs.

Press release from the French platforms co-signed by 45 groups of supporters, including many member groups of the ANS. pic.twitter.com/nTudNxmQ6I

Only certainty, the working group of the LFP, which met Tuesday to discuss the "recovery scenarios", postponed the idea of ​​a white season, that is to say outright cancellation of the current exercise (defended by Olympique Lyonnais and Toulouse FC), if the championship does not resume. A decision that should relieve the supporters of OM and Stade Rennais, respectively 2nd and 3rd in the ranking, behind the untouchable Parisian leader, and allow them to continue dreaming of a qualification for the Champions League next season .

It remains, however, to convince the main parties concerned, namely the players and the refereeing corps to return to the pitch. According to a consultation launched by the National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP), a majority of players refuse to replay without health guarantee.

In a column published on April 20 by Le Monde, the co-president of the UNFP, Sylvain Kastendeuch, estimated that a recovery would be "hasty and dangerous" and argued in favor of stopping the competition. "The economic emergency should not take precedence over the public health imperative," he said. 

Premier League delays , La Ligaeager to resume

In England, the Premier League clubs, which met by videoconference on Friday, are procrastinating. If they intend to play the entire championship, promised to Liverpool, leader with 25 points ahead of its dolphin Manchester City (with a late match) nine days before the end, the clubs have still not set a date of recovery. According to Sky Sports, the season could not resume until June 8, while the United Kingdom has extended its confinement until May 7. The scenario envisioned would be to finish the season in five weeks. A new meeting between Premier League residents is scheduled for May 1.

In Spain, one of the countries most affected by the Covid-19 with Italy, La Liga and the Federation have agreed to bring the 2019-2020 season to a close. According to the sports daily AS, the recovery would take place on the weekend of June 5 or 12. At a press conference held on April 7, Javier Tebas, the boiling president of La Liga, expressed the wish to resume competition on "May 28-29, June 6-7 or June 28 ". 

However, the Spanish Minister of Culture and Sports José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes warned on Tuesday evening on Cope radio that the resumption of sports competitions in the country and in particular the football championship would be determined by his health counterpart. And this, while the Liga clubs hoped for a return to training from May 4. 

In the event of non-recovery, the Iberian Federation has indicated that it will use the current classification to freeze its classification, and the last full day carried out by the 20 clubs. In this specific case, FC Barcelona, ​​leader of the classification, Real Madrid, dolphin of the Catalans with two points behind, FC Sevilla, 3rd, and Real Sociedad, 4th, would be qualified for the Champions League.

L has  SeriesA in favor of a recovery, the Bundesliga already ready to take the plunge

On the side of Italy, which recorded more than 24,000 deaths linked to Covid-19, the Professional Football League announced on Tuesday that the Serie A clubs are unanimously ready to resume the course of the championship. Suspended since March 9, the championship is hotly contested this season, with Juventus leading with just one small point ahead of Lazio after 26 games played.  

The League, however, clarified that the recovery can only be effective "if the government authorizes the development, in full compliance with standards of health and safety protection".

The Italian federation was to present, Wednesday, the medical protocol established to allow the resumption of the competition to the Minister of Sports Vincenzo Spadafora. In particular, it provides that players can start training again, in small groups and under strict medical supervision, from May 4, the date on which the government plans to start easing the containment measures imposed since March 10. It would then be a question of resuming the matches at the very end of May or the beginning of June.

Finally, in Germany, where the coronavirus epidemic is "under control", the Bundesliga, suspended since March 13 and interrupted at least until April 30, is ready to resume. The decision to compete for the remaining nine days could be made on Thursday during a videoconference meeting between representatives of the first and second division clubs. While in recent weeks, players from several clubs, including Bayern Munich, have already found their way to training in small groups, the Federation has insisted on the need to resume play to touch the windfall of TV rights. A question of survival according to her for many clubs.

Even if large popular rallies remain banned at least until August 31, Health Minister Jens Spahn said on Tuesday that "with caution, matches behind closed doors are certainly again possible". He added: "For millions of football fans, this would be a return to normal from May 9, even if it is in an empty stadium."

According to "Bild", all matches will be played behind closed doors until the end of the season on June 21. Everything seems to indicate that the Bundesliga will be the first major European championship to resume, and to finish a very special season.

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