Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Reuters
Reuters
Business

UEFA president admits that current season may not finish

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - UEFA Congress - Beurs van Berlage Conference Centre, Amsterdam, Netherlands - March 3, 2020 UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin during a press conference REUTERS/Yves Herman

The head of European soccer's governing body said that the current season could be "lost" if it is unable to re-start by the end of June, although he did not rule out extending it into the next season.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica that there were a number of options for concluding the season, which has been brought to a halt around Europe by the coronavirus pandemic.

"There is a plan A, B and C. The three options are to start again in mid-May, in June or at the end of June, if we don't succeed, the season will probably be lost," he said.

However, he then added: "There is also the possibility of starting again at the beginning of the next, starting the following one later. We will see the best solution for leagues and clubs."

Ceferin has said the finishing domestic leagues was the priority, even if it meant playing behind closed doors.

"It's hard for me to imagine all the matches behind closed doors, but we still don't know whether we'll resume, with or without spectators.

"If there was no alternative, it would be better to finish the championships anyway," he said.

"But I can say that I don't think about the finals of the European club competitions behind closed doors."

Ceferin said that the decision to postpone Euro 2020 until next year "has shown that every emergency is our emergency and every club is our club."

He said that a videoconference with representatives of clubs, leagues and players was "a fantastic demonstration of unity and solidarity."

He was also talking to FIFA and its president Gianni Infantino despite recent differences.

"It is important to forget personal interests and disagreements," he said.

(Writing by Brian Homewood, editing by Pritha Sarkar)

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.