The 2019-20 Ligue 1 season will not be completed after French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe announced that no professional sport will be played in the country until September at the earliest.
No matches have been played in the top-tier Ligue 1 and second-tier Ligue 2 since March 9 following the COVID-19 outbreak. The French Football League (LFP), which organises the two competitions, had been hoping to resume the season in mid-June but this will now not be possible.
Philippe’s announcement will also mean that other sports such as rugby union will not be able to go ahead, which would bring France’s Top14 season to a premature end.
“The 2019-20 season of professional sports, including football, will not be able to resume,” Philippe said.
It is unclear how the LFP will look to resolve the season if no more matches can be played.
The announcement today (Tuesday) comes after the Dutch Eredivisie was forced to cancel its season after the government extended a ban on the staging of major public events by a further three months.
In the Eredivisie, UEFA Champions League and Europa League places for next season will be awarded on the current league positions. There will also be no promotions or relegations between the top two divisions.
The suspension of French and Dutch football comes as the German Bundesliga looks to resume its season behind closed doors as early as May 9. The proposal still requires the approval of the German government.
European leagues have until May 25 to inform UEFA, football’s European governing body, whether they want to cancel their seasons or find a way to complete them.
Image: KevFB
Share this