UEFA today met with its 55 member associations via video conference to discuss the ongoing plans for a season resumption.
European football’s governing body again gave a “strong recommendation” to finish domestic top division and cup competitions when professional sport gets the green light to recommence.
While there is nothing new in that assertion – we have heard that on a number of occasions already since the cessation of play in mid-March – we could be nearing the point of tentative plans being made for a restart.
In a statement released on Tuesday afternoon, UEFA said that “a variety of calendar options were presented covering both national team and club competition matches.”
The powers-that-be then went on to say that any developments on this front would be announced after the UEFA Executive Committee meeting on Thursday.
It could be, then, that we get our first draft of a rejigged football calendar later this week.
The huge caveat to that possibility is that we have been here before, only for the coronavirus pandemic to disrupt plans: UEFA had previously thrown their weight behind a movement to see all club competitions completed by the end of June, an option that is surely no longer viable.
It also needs to be stressed that other countries on the continent are likely to be closer to a playing comeback than England is, given that the COVID-19 outbreak is still at its peak in the United Kingdom.
Media reports this week suggest that the Bundesliga could restart in early May (albeit behind closed doors), for example, with Germany having recently eased its lockdown measures.
The lockdown in the UK, by contrast, was extended by “at least the next three weeks” just last Friday.
UEFA did say that they would consider “special cases” for season cancellations, although the preference is for 2019/20 to be seen through to its climax.
They will next meet with the European Club Association and domestic leagues – including the Premier League – on Wednesday before the Executive Committee conference takes place a day after that.
Tuesday’s full statement reads as follows:
UEFA today met its 55 member associations via videoconference and presented an update of the options being looked into by the two working groups that were created mid-March.
A variety of calendar options were presented covering both national team and club competition matches.
The funding of National Associations through UEFA’s HatTrick programme was also discussed with UEFA reiterating its commitment to meeting the payments to member associations as planned.
There was a strong recommendation given to finish domestic top division and cup competitions, although it is understood that there may be some special cases. With this in mind, UEFA is currently developing some guidelines concerning participation in its club competitions, in order to assist its member associations in case of a cancelled league or cup.
Any developments on the above topics would be announced after the UEFA Executive Committee on Thursday.
