LIGUE 1 bosses are planning for the restart of the French league with things getting back on track by 17 June and coming to a close a few weeks later on 25 July.
According to French media outlet L’Equipe, clubs may have to resort to playing fixtures every three days in order to squeeze in the amount of games need for the season to finish.
Neymar may get chance to finish season with Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain before possible move to Barcelona in the summerCredit: Reuters
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UEFA have also proposed playing both Europa League and Champions leagues games in August, meaning the speedy remaining of the French season would allow for those to be wrapped up.
Ligue 1 ground to a halt on 16 March and now a statement provided to L’Equipe on Monday, says the Ligue de Football Professionnel confirm they intend to restart games in June.
However, officials have still not made it clear whether or not those games will be played in front of crowds once again, or if fans will have to wait a while longer, with games being staged behind closed doors.
The Coup de France match between Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon has been penciled in for 27 June, with the Coup de la Ligue final – once again featuring PSG and Saint Etienne set to played 11 July.
With the French league looking like it could resume sooner than expected, it gives Brazilian star Neymar the chance to return to the pitch for PSG in what could be the last time.
The 28-year-old striker has been linked with a move back to La Liga champions Barcelona, where he left for a world-record fee of £196million in 2017.
Ligue 1 leaders PSG shocked fans when they managed to swoop him up from his Spanish outfit.
However, his time at the club has been anything but satisfactory – even with regards his relationship with certain teammates such as Kylian Mbappe, as well as fans.
He has scored 69 times for the club since joining, including 18 goals in 16 games this season.
But he has not found favor with the fans, often getting boo’d.
FRANCE RESTART
It comes after beIN Media Group – the world’s largest sport’s rights holders – announced they were withholding they’re upcoming payment for domestic Ligue 1 rights because of the suspension of football in France.
Canal Plus, a French channel, have also followed suit as the coronavirus lockdown continues in the country.
BeIN SPORT’s four-year deal with Ligue 1 rights in France expires at the end of this season.
The French company’s [beIN] chief executive, Yousef Al Obaidly, wrote in a legal letter regarding the situation, saying that the decision to having not paid their 5 April payment to the French Ligue 1 ‘mainly takes in to consideration the total lack of real visibility on the actual resumption of matches in the current season.’
Al Obaidly also said that the situation ‘has just been aggravated by the decision to maintain confinement for an additional period of two weeks.’
DAZN – a streaming company – has also taken a stand in making it clear for the leagues it holds rights for, that it will not pay for cancelled games.
PREMIER LEAGUE
Premier League stars have been told they could return to training by the end of May.
According to the Daily Mail, top-flight clubs have outlined the next steps towards action returning to their squads.
Players are being advised to cancel any plans to leave the country during what is being classed as their ”off-season”.
They are also being told to be ready to return to action with as little as 48-hour’s notice.
EUROS
The Euro 2020’s have been moved back to take place in 2021, which came after a UEFA meeting held on 17 March.
It gives a chance for European club competitions to be completed.
SERIE A
Meanwhile, the president of the Italian Football Federation claimed in late March that the Italian football league could be completed in August.
Gabriele Gravina has refused to accept that the season would be wiped out despite the difficult situation the country finds itself in amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking with Italian radio station Marte, he said: ”I don’t give up easily.
”As long as there is a chance, I will keep alive the hope of restarting the championships.”
The 66-year-old went on to add: ”If we are given the month of July and August, that could be the right period.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
