PARIS, France, Apr 20 – As European countries take steps towards easing lockdown measures imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic, UEFA will meet with the continent’s football clubs and associations this week to try to mark out a pathway towards resuming the season.

European football’s governing body is eager to steer all 55 member countries towards a consensus. They want to finish the season, with Germany hopeful of restarting Bundesliga matches behind closed doors next month.

Elsewhere, Belgium and Scotland appear to be awaiting a green light from UEFA to call an end to their seasons now.

The virus has claimed over 165,000 lives globally, nearly two thirds of them in Europe, according to an AFP tally. Given the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, UEFA are remaining prudent.

That means firm decisions are unlikely this week, as UEFA hold a meeting with the heads of all member associations on Tuesday, followed by another with the powerful European Club Association (ECA) and the European Leagues grouping on Wednesday.

UEFA’s Executive Committee will then meet on Thursday, and that could trigger key announcements elsewhere.

Notably, the German Football League will hold a video call with the 36 clubs from its top two divisions later the same day as it hopes to resume playing by mid-May.

“This week, important decisions will be made on how to proceed,” German FA chief Fritz Keller told Kicker magazine.

“UEFA are working on a whole host of scenarios,” one source told AFP. “But nothing will be decided at the end of the meeting on Thursday because it is still impossible given all the uncertainty surrounding the easing of the lockdowns.”

When football ground to a halt in mid-March, the end of June was set out as the target date for finishing the season.

UEFA has since been working on the possibility of playing in July and August if required, and president Aleksander Ceferin remains optimistic that seasons can be completed.

– Champions League final in August? –

“We may have to resume without spectators, but the most important thing, I think, is playing games,” Ceferin told Italian daily Corriere della Sera.

“It is early to say that we cannot complete the season. The impact would be terrible for clubs and leagues. Better to play behind closed doors than not at all.”

UEFA has already postponed Euro 2020 by a year. The Champions League and Europa League are on hold “until further notice”, with both stuck in the last-16 stage.

According to Jean-Michel Aulas, president of French club Lyon and also on the ECA board, UEFA’s hope is to complete its club competitions in August, with the Champions League final on August 29.

Ultimately, though, football is at the mercy of the virus and of national governments.

Lockdowns in the UK, France, Spain and Italy will continue into May. Meanwhile Germany and other parts of Europe are taking tentative steps to ease measures.

German clubs are desperate for the season to be finished by June 30 to secure an instalment of television money, reportedly worth around 300 million euros ($326 million).

That is a central concern for Europe’s other leading leagues but, in contrast, the Belgian Pro League has stated its intention to declare the season finished.

They are waiting for the UEFA meeting before potentially ratifying the decision at a meeting on Friday — UEFA had previously threatened to exclude teams from the next Champions League if domestic competitions were ended prematurely.

Scotland has already declared the season over in the leagues below the top flight and could do the same for the Premiership if UEFA does not object.

(Visited 8 times, 8 visits today)

%thecontent%%avatar%

%author%

%authornetworks%

%authordescription%

%authornetworks%

Comments

%sidebar%","opedarticle":"","sidead1":"ff","sidead2":"","sidead3":"","homestory":"

%title%

%game%%date%Read More--","taxonomyitem":"

%title%

%game%%date%Read More------","fixtureitem":"%name1%%score1%VS%score2%%name2%%time%","home":"rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn 1rn 2rn 3rn 4rn 5rn rn rn rn

Arsenal players and Arteta agree virus pay cut

rn rn Footballrn rn rn Monday, 20th Apr 2020rn rn rn rn Read Articlern rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rnrnrnrn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

More Headlines

rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

rn UEFA look for light at end of tunnel in bid to resume European football seasonrn

rn rn Footballrn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

rn Possible May 9 resumption of Bundesliga behind closed doorsrn

rn rn Footballrn rn rn rn 1 minute ago rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

rn Hamilton ready to stick with Mercedes ‘dream team’rn

rn rn Motorsrn rn rn rn 10 minutes ago rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

rn Australian rugby players’ pay slashed 60 percent over ‘devastating’ virusrn

rn rn Rugbyrn rn rn rn 5 hours ago rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

rn Maguire confident Man Utd on course to compete for titles againrn

rn rn Footballrn rn rn rn 4 hours ago rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

rn Why wait for a pandemic? – Djokovic plan for low-ranked players queriedrn

rn rn Tennisrn rn rn rn 9 hours ago rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rnrnrn rn rn

Most Popular

rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

All Sports

rn trn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

Nadal frustrated by tennis lockdown, Federer happy with surgery recovery

rn rn rn Tennisrn rn Monday, 20th Apr 2020rn rn rn rn rn Read Morern rn rn rn rn rn --rn rn rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn rn

UEFA look for light at end of tunnel in bid to resume European football season

rn rn rn Footballrn rn Monday, 20th Apr 2020rn rn rn rn rn Read Morern rn rn rn rn rn --rn rn rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn rn

Possible May 9 resumption of Bundesliga behind closed doors

rn rn rn Footballrn rn Monday, 20th Apr 2020rn rn rn rn rn Read Morern rn rn rn rn rn --rn rn rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn rn

Hamilton ready to stick with Mercedes ‘dream team’

rn rn rn Motorsrn rn Monday, 20th Apr 2020rn rn rn rn rn Read Morern rn rn rn rn rn --rn rn rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn rn

Australian rugby players’ pay slashed 60 percent over ‘devastating’ virus

rn rn rn Rugbyrn rn Monday, 20th Apr 2020rn rn rn rn rn Read Morern rn rn rn rn rn --rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

Poll Question

rn rn ntnttnttntt

WILL ARSENAL FINISH TOP FOUR IN 2019/20 EPL SEASON?

ntt
• NO
ntt
• YES
ntt

View Results

ntnn Loading ...n rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

Maguire confident Man Utd on course to compete for titles again

rn rn rn Footballrn rn Monday, 20th Apr 2020rn rn rn rn rn Read Morern rn rn rn rn rn --rn rn rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn rn

Why wait for a pandemic? – Djokovic plan for low-ranked players queried

rn rn rn Tennisrn rn Monday, 20th Apr 2020rn rn rn rn rn Read Morern rn rn rn rn rn --rn rn rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn rn

Japan virus expert ‘pessimistic’ Olympics can be held in 2021

rn rn rn Gamern rn Monday, 20th Apr 2020rn rn rn rn rn Read Morern rn rn rn rn rn --rn rn rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn rn

Premier League’s transfer market bubble set to burst

rn rn rn Footballrn rn Monday, 20th Apr 2020rn rn rn rn rn Read Morern rn rn rn rn rn --rn rn rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn rn

Leclerc wins virtual China race, celebrates with pasta not champagne

rn rn rn Motorsrn rn Monday, 20th Apr 2020rn rn rn rn rn Read Morern rn rn rn rn rn --rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn Load More Storiesrn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

Sponsored

rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

Featured

rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn AGENCE FRANCE PRESSErn Nadal frustrated by tennis lockdown, Federer happy with surgery recoveryrn rn rn Viewrn rn Monday, 20th Apr 2020rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn AGENCE FRANCE PRESSErn Arsenal players and Arteta agree virus pay cutrn rn rn Viewrn rn Monday, 20th Apr 2020rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn AGENCE FRANCE PRESSErn UEFA look for light at end of tunnel in bid to resume European football seasonrn rn rn Viewrn rn Monday, 20th Apr 2020rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn AGENCE FRANCE PRESSErn Possible May 9 resumption of Bundesliga behind closed doorsrn rn rn Viewrn rn Monday, 20th Apr 2020rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn AGENCE FRANCE PRESSErn Hamilton ready to stick with Mercedes ‘dream team’rn rn rn Viewrn rn Monday, 20th Apr 2020rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rnrnttt","sidebar":"rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rnrnrnrn rn rn rntrn rn t

Most Popular

rn rn rn rn rn trn rn rnrn rn rn rn t

Featured

rn rn trn rn rn rn rn AGENCE FRANCE PRESSErn Nadal frustrated by tennis lockdown, Federer happy with surgery recoveryrn rn rn Viewrn rn Monday, 20th Apr 2020rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn AGENCE FRANCE PRESSErn Arsenal players and Arteta agree virus pay cutrn rn rn Viewrn rn Monday, 20th Apr 2020rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn AGENCE FRANCE PRESSErn UEFA look for light at end of tunnel in bid to resume European football seasonrn rn rn Viewrn rn Monday, 20th Apr 2020rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn AGENCE FRANCE PRESSErn Possible May 9 resumption of Bundesliga behind closed doorsrn rn rn Viewrn rn Monday, 20th Apr 2020rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn AGENCE FRANCE PRESSErn Hamilton ready to stick with Mercedes ‘dream team’rn rn rn Viewrn rn Monday, 20th Apr 2020rn rn rn rn rn rn rn trn rn rn rn","articleerror":"

Oops...Something broke on our end

"},"messages":{"accessdenied":"Access to the account has been denied ","httperror":"Oops, something went wrong...please try again","contactgoogle":"Contacting Google","firsttime":"Seems this is your first time with this signin system. Please wait as we get your name","signinsuccess":"Cool. You're now signed in. This signin will close automatically now","pendingrequest":"Still communicating with the server","signedout":"Seems you were signed out. Try submitting again after you've been signed in","trackingerror":"Couldn't track Analytics","xhrnotconfigured":"To webmaster: Please confirm the xhr/ajax receptor is configured on the server","loadmore":"Load more stories"}}; /* ]]> */