Scottish football’s Joint Response Group has welcomed UEFA’s move today to allow individual associations to apply local dynamics to completing the 2019/20 season.
Fulfilling broadcasting commitments is paramount in England and the other major nations but less so in Scotland.
Every club and association throughout UEFA have expressed their preference to complete the current season but after six weekends without any football that is looking much less likely.
In Scotland most of the players in the top flight are on the UK Government’s furlough scheme which means that as soon as they resume training clubs must pick up full payments on contracts.
Reacting to the UEFA announcement a spokesman for the Joint Response Group told the Daily Record:
The virus outbreak is affecting leagues across Europe in many different ways depending, amongst other things, on their financial position, their broadcasting deals and the percentage of their clubs’ income derived from gate receipts.
In addition, the approach from individual governments varies according to the severity and timing of the lockdown and their success in dealing with the outbreak.
As a result, there can be no “one-size-fits-all” solution to the challenges facing the 55 countries under the UEFA banner.
Today’s UEFA announcement acknowledges that different leagues will have to carefully consider their own unique circumstances before deciding how best to progress.
With Dundee United, Raith Rovers and Cove Rangers awarded the lower division titles last week the SPFL board has authority to hand Celtic the 2019/20 Premiership title. The SPFL applied sporting merit by deciding divisions based on average points per game.
The Scottish Government has already announced that there will be no football before June 10 with the SFA announcing that six weeks training is required before matches can begin.
