UEFA chief Aleksander Ceferin has admitted that UEFA are still working on three plans as the suspension of football across Europe completes its third weekend.
Following a video conference on March 17 UEFA announced their wish for domestic leagues to be completed by June 30 but with each passing day that deadline seems more unrealistic.
The European Championships have already been put back 12 months with UEFA having the twin problem of what to do with this season’s Champions League and Europa League with eight midweek slots set aside for next season’s qualifiers starting at the beginning of July.
With sponsorship and broadcasting deals funding the whole of the European game Ceferin is in no position to make any bold call on football matters with most of the continent in lock-down with that situation set to remain for at least another month.
The head of European soccer’s governing body told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica that there were a number of options for concluding the season, which has been brought to a halt around Europe by the pandemic.
“There is a plan A, B and C. The three options are to start again in mid-May, in June or at the end of June, if we don’t succeed, the season will probably be lost,” he said.
However, he then added: “There is also the possibility of starting again at the beginning of the next, starting the following one later. We will see the best solution for leagues and clubs.”
Ceferin has said the finishing domestic leagues was the priority, even if it meant playing behind closed doors.
“It’s hard for me to imagine all the matches behind closed doors, but we still don’t know whether we’ll resume, with or without spectators.
“If there was no alternative, it would be better to finish the championships anyway,” he said.
“But I can say that I don’t think about the finals of the European club competitions behind closed doors.”
With governments working from day to day there is virtually no prospect of UEFA making any decision on the resumption of football over the coming weeks.
