Football season may resume without fans, says top official

Bengaluru, April 16: Though the uncertainty around when football in Europe which has been suspended owing to coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic will resume continues, it is presumed that once it re-starts it will be played indoors sans fans, according to European Leagues (EL) deputy general secretary Alberto Colombo.

The EL comprises all the professional football leagues in Europe and its members include the top flights of England, Spain, Germany, France and Italy, which have all been suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"There's no doubt games will be behind closed doors. But, of course, it's impossible to answer the question -- 'When will we be back playing?' Nobody has these answers," Colombo was quoted as saying in an interview with BBC.

“It’s impossible to answer the question ‘when will we be back playing?’ No one in the world has these answers”, Alberto Colombo, Deputy General Secretary of @EuropeanLeagues which represents 36 leagues in 29 countries, tells me: pic.twitter.com/zibqAuqPev

— Dan Roan (@danroan) April 15, 2020

"Ultimately, we all know the governments of the countries are the ones in charge for lifting the various restrictions that apply to sport," Colombo added.

The Premier League has been suspended until at least April 30 and its clubs are slated to meet on Friday (April 17) to review the situation although a resumption in the near future is unlikely with Britain still in lockdown.

Coronavirus in sport: Premier League to complete season by June 30?

German clubs returned to training last week with squads split into small groups and having to adhere to strict social distancing guidelines.

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The Italian football federation wants to resume training as soon as the country's lockdown ends on May 3 and has recommended that players and staff be tested and isolated in training camps, though there has been opposition from medical circles.

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"The priority so far has been on focusing on creating conditions to be able to resume competition during the summer should we be able," Colombo added.

Belgium has cancelled the rest of the top-flight season citing health concerns and financial woes in the wake of the pandemic, but Colombo said most leagues wanted to finish.

"The vast majority has been focusing 100 per cent on the resumption of their competitions," he added.

Meanwhile, the game's global governing body is braced for legal challenges over the recommendation that player contracts should be extended until the seasons halted by coronavirus can be completed.

FIFA braces for legal battle

FIFA made the recommendation in a set of guidelines intended to address the complexities caused by the unprecedented shutdown of the sport.

(With inputs from Agencies)