The Federations are encouraged to avoid rash decisions in a letter from UEFA, the European Club Association and the European Leagues, revealing their plans to resume in July.
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin teamed up with ECA chairman Andrea Agnelli and European Leagues chief Lars-Christer Olsson and wrote a letter to the Federations, clubs and Leagues.
The letter has been posted after learning that the Jupiler Pro League in Belgium has assigned Club Brugge as winners and terminated early due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Federations are encouraged to avoid rash decisions in a letter from UEFA, the European Club Association and the European Leagues, revealing their plans to resume in July.
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin teamed up with ECA chairman Andrea Agnelli and European Leagues chief Lars-Christer Olsson and wrote a letter to the Federations, clubs and Leagues.
The letter has been posted after learning that the Jupiler Pro League in Belgium has assigned Club Brugge as winners and terminated early due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Reuters has revealed that the letter pointed out how European football is ‘capable of reacting as a single united family’ and claims that it’s ‘of paramount importance that even a disruptive event like this epidemic does not prevent our competitions from being decided on the field, in accordance with their rules and that all sporting titles are awarded based on results’.
“As responsible leaders, this is what we have to ensure, as long as there is a last chance and as long as there are solutions available,” the respective Presidents said in the letter. “Only an extraordinary coordinated effort of all competition organisers can help European football out of the crisis, recovering in full its core asset, the competitions.
“Stopping competitions should really be the last resort after acknowledging that no calendar alternative would allow to conclude the season.
“Their work is now focusing on scenarios encompassing the months of July and August, including the possibility that the UEFA competitions restart after the completion of domestic leagues.
“A joint management of calendars is strictly required as the conclusion of the current season must be coordinated with the start of the new one, which may be partly impacted because of the overstretch.
“It is of paramount importance that even a disruptive event like this epidemic does not prevent our competitions from being decided on the field, in accordance with their rules and that all sporting titles are awarded based on results.
“As responsible leaders in our sport, this is what me must ensure, until the last possibility exists and whilst planning, operational and regulatory solutions are available.
“We are confident that football can restart in the months to come – with conditions that will be dictated by public authorities – and believe that any decision of abandoning domestic competitions is, at this stage, premature and not justified.”