The Premier League and other European leagues have been given a deadline of May 25 by UEFA to provide plans to restart their season.
European football’s governing body has issued guidelines to all 55 associations after an agreement last week that qualification for next season’s Champions League and Europa League must be decided on ‘sporting merit’ this season.
June target as government wants PL back ASAP
The Insider: Sterilised balls on football’s return
UEFA has also asked associations, such as the Dutch FA, to “explain the special circumstances justifying such premature termination” by the same deadline, in relation to the clubs it wants to compete in Europe next season.
But UEFA’s top officials will be sympathetic to any league that is unable to provide clarity by May 25, due to ongoing government uncertainty over the coronavirus pandemic.
A UEFA working group has made a “strong recommendation” that domestic seasons are completed, but administrators would prefer suspended domestic competitions to restart “with a different format”, rather than cancel them.
It has been agreed that associations may cancel their season only if governments prevent sporting events from taking place or ‘insurmountable economic problems’ risk the ‘long-term financial stability’ of domestic competitions and clubs.
UEFA has also asked the 12 host cities of next summer’s delayed European Championship to confirm their participation by Thursday [April 30].
Spurs to reopen training ground to players
The Football Gossip column
Earlier this month, UEFA’s intention was to use the same cities but has yet to confirm schedules for matches.
Talks are ongoing with representatives of hosts Amsterdam, Baku, Bilbao, Bucharest, Budapest, Copenhagen, Dublin, Glasgow, London, Munich, Rome and St Petersburg, led by Martin Kallen, CEO of UEFA Events.