UEFA President speaks on the return of Football in Europe as the spread of COVID-19 has suspended all the games until further notice.
The Coronavirus spread has broken the backbone of the football season, with all associations figuring out how to return into the game after the end of the widespread.
Amidst all of this, the UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has shed light on the return of football in Europe as the whole world battles against the grave pandemic.
I believe there are options that can allow us to restart cup championships and to complete them,” Ceferin said in an interview with Italian daily Corriere della Sera.
“We may have to resume without spectators, but the most important thing, I think, is playing games. “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.
“In such hard times, it would bring happiness to people and a certain sense of normality even if the games can only be seen on TV. “All activities are being organised to start again, everyone needs to find their lives.
“If safety measures are respected and if the authorities give the green light, the training could resume like the rest.
“Further consent will be needed for matches.” Ceferin said that if leagues returned “soon enough” then Champions League and Europa League matches could “be played in parallel” with no date limit for the finals.
The Slovenian said he was not in favour of the season going into September and October as it “would have a heavy impact” on the 2020-2021 campaign.
“We can finish, but we must respect the decisions taken by authorities,” he continued. “The priority is the health of fans, players and coaches.”
As for countries who have decided not to finish the season, Ceferin said that UEFA “will review the cases. “Such decisions were not made alone,” he said.
“Football is interconnected, we have seen how important it is for UEFA and leagues to work in good cooperation. The executive committee will review the cases.”
He added: “Leagues are the revenue base for clubs nationwide. If completed, the financial consequences will be limited. UEFA, on the other hand, will lose a lot of money for postponing Euro 2020.” He said while referring to the postponement of UEFA Euro.
