Professional leagues, including Ligue 1, are not in favor of the amendment proposed by senators to make it possible to resume the season. - Budrul Chukrut / SOPA Images / Sip / SIPA

French professional clubs urged the government on Tuesday to mobilize for the resumption of football during the summer, asking for an "economic recovery plan" for the sector and hoping for "open stadiums" to the public for the start of next season.

In a joint press release unpublished since the suspension of competitions due to the coronavirus pandemic, the two major unions of professional clubs (Premier League and UCPF) draw the conclusions of this period which led to the final cessation of the 2019-2020 season, where the main foreign championships started the recovery.

A shortfall of 500 to 800 million euros

While recalling that the authorities of football had no "other choice" than to stop the season at the end of April in accordance with government announcements, the clubs call, "rather than taking a look in the rear view mirror", to " look ahead ”, in this press release sent to AFP.

They urge the government in particular to "find solutions" and to work on "a recovery plan" which they hope "will be able to quickly discuss the content and terms with the departments concerned". They insist on the “disaster” nature of their sector, which will experience a shortfall of 500 to 800 million euros according to several leaders.

The public question

They then ask that the health contours of the resumption of football for the 2020-2021 season be defined, between "return to collective training, organization of internships and friendly matches in the presence of spectators" and "kick-off of competition in stadiums open to a large audience ”. With a "priority": allow "our audience to relive emotions in our stadiums".

Should we resume sport (also) to give people happiness? via @ 20minutesSport https://t.co/0hbX8J1CnM

- 20 Minutes Sport (@ 20minutesSport) May 18, 2020

Finally, Claude Michy, president of the Union of Professional Football Clubs (UCPF, grouping a majority of Ligue 2 clubs), and Bernard Caïazzo, his Premier League counterpart, the main union of Ligue 1 teams, concede that they "learn (t) lessons" from this crisis, both on the governance of football and on its relations with public authorities, while the question of a merger of the two club unions has returned to the table in recent weeks.

This joint position of the two unions representing almost all professional clubs is also a first for several months, marked by numerous individual outings, a "cacophony" denounced by certain football players and political figures.

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