The pandemic has swept across the world faster than anyone expected, sending almost half of the world’s population into isolation at home. To make things worse, the pandemic has also suspended pretty much every team sport you can think of. This makes the lives of many people miserable.
Sports channels are struggling to fill the void left in their programming by the lack of live sports. Bookmakers are left with the odds of eSports and some of the most bizarre sports in the world – and those of the Belarus Premier League, the only football league that still ‘works’. And every football fan around the world is sitting on the edge of their seats waiting for news about when their beloved sport can return. The good news is, the leagues themselves – along with their respective national authorities – are already working on plans to resume their seasons.
As of the writing of this article, the United Kingdom had more than 130,000 cases with zero recoveries reported so far. The officials say that the strict lockdown measures will remain in place at least until May 7th, which means that football fans will have to wait for at least a couple more weeks to see some movement on this front.
The Premier League – and some clubs – were hit hard by the lockdown. The league is bleeding money, and many clubs are fighting for their survival as we speak. Players from two teams – Southampton and West Ham – have agreed to waive their salaries, and others are expected to follow suit.
The clubs have agreed to play out the rest of the season – when it will happen is still uncertain, though. Ideally, the matches should resume on June 8, without spectators, of course.
Italy is a country hit hard by the pandemic and with some of the toughest measures in place – it still has more than 100,000 active cases. It was the first to suspend football matches on March 9 with 12 complete match days in the Serie A still to play. Juventus and Lazio were head to head in the lead at the time – their fans, along with all other football lovers in the country, are eager to see them return to the field.
The Italian government expects to ease some of the restrictions on May 3, and Federation president Gabriele Gravina hopes that footballers can return to training a day later. In this case, the matches could resume around the end of May or the beginning of June. The Federation is discussing holding matches behind closed doors, potentially in just four cities to avoid playing any in the parts of the country most affected by the epidemic.
Spain still has more than 100,000 active cases on its hand and a strict curfew that won’t be lifted at least until May 11. The country’s top-flight football league has been suspended since March 12 – it still has 11 match days to complete. The two top-standing teams, Barcelona and Real Madrid are at just two points from each other. No wonder the fans are eager to see the season complete.
La Liga would lose around a billion euros if the season ended early – it’s understandable that the most desirable option is to play out the matches. League president Javier Tebas has spoken of three potential dates at which the matches could resume: May 28, June 6, and June 28, depending on when the authorities decide to ease some of the restrictions applied. The teams will resume training under strict supervision and, as you might expect, the games will be played without spectators.
Similar to Spain, France also doesn’t plan to ease any restrictions before May 11. The loss of revenue has hit French clubs pretty seriously, with some of them facing bankruptcy if the season doesn’t resume. Many players have already agreed to waive part of their salary to ease the situation a bit.
The season still has ten rounds to complete, and if it continues, the matches may return on June 17, with the season ending on July 25. Not all clubs agree with this date, though – some of them consider hastily resuming the matches a health hazard, and plead for the season to end where it stands.
Germany has been praised around the world for handling the pandemic well – but the authorities have no illusions about the future. Of all things, Oktoberfest was recently canceled. The Bundesliga season was suspended on March 24 with eight matchdays still left in the season. FC Bayern München is in the lead with 55 points.
The league’s officials hope the season could resume in early May, in tune with the authorities’ easing of some restrictions. As public gatherings remain prohibited until at least August, the matches will be played behind closed doors.
