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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Gabriel McKay

UEFA wake-up call over 'fantasy' football as Aleksander Ceferin admits lost season realisation

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has floated four options to finish the 2019-20 season, including pushing next term back.

Leagues across Europe have been shut down by the coronavirus pandemic, with the original intention to resume by June 30.

That looks increasingly unlikely due to the spread of COVID-19, with Record Sport revealing that SFA insiders viewed the plan as "fantasy".

That raises the possibility of having to make a call on the destination of the Scottish Premiership title, with Celtic insisting they should be given the trophy if the season cannot resume.

(UEFA via Getty Images)

And UEFA has now conceded that the season may not be able to resume.

Ceferin told La Repubblica: "There are at least three options: start again in mid-May, in June or at the end of June.

"Then, if we don’t succeed, the season is probably lost.

"There is also the proposal to end this season at the start of the next, which would then be postponed, starting a little later.

“We're in touch with the leagues, the clubs, there is a working group and we'll see what solution is best for all.

"We have to wait, like any other sector.

"It’s difficult to imagine all the games behind closed doors, but now we don’t even know if we will resume, with or without spectators.

“If there are no other alternatives, it would still be better to conclude the championships. I can say that I'm not thinking about the European cup finals behind closed doors."

(PA)

Ceferin also admitted that there would have to be changes to the transfer window if the season does resume.

"Maybe next year the clubs will adjust the number of games.

"If season starts again then a compromise would be needed, namely contracts finishing later and the transfer window would have to be moved.

"The transfer window will have to be adequate, you can't say to a footballer: 'you play with us until the end of August, but then you cannot move because the window is closed'.

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