The suspension of all elite English football will be extended to at least April 30 as the coronavirus emergency escalates.
Matches in the Premier League, EFL, Women’s Super League, Women’s Championship, and all leagues in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have been suspended.
In a joint statement with the Premier League and EFL, the Football Association committed to “finding ways of resuming the 2019/20 season” and fulfilling all domestic and European games “as soon as it is safe and possible to do so”.
The statement added that the current domestic campaign can be “extended indefinitely” if required, having originally been scheduled to finish on June 1.
Earlier this week, football’s governing body in Europe, UEFA, confirmed that it will postpone the international Euro 2020 tournament until the summer of 2021, paving the way for domestic fixtures to be played out over June and July.
Football’s world governing body, FIFA, has formed a working group to address new issues in football brought about by the enforced suspensions. The group’s mandate will focus on fulfilling the international fixture calendar, and dealing with legal issues surrounding the contracts of players.
Contracts typically expire on June 30, but with several leagues looking likely to run beyond that date in the event that they resume, dealing with expiring contracts could prove a sticking point for numerous clubs.
The domestic football season is unlikely to return until government advice changes. This week, prime minister Boris Johnson issued a national address advising people not to attend mass gatherings.
