Paris Saint-Germain Win Ligue 1 As France Ends Season Early

Statement

In a news conference, French League director general Didier Quillot said: “We were genuinely ready to finish the season like the Germans and the Spanish but we respect the government decisions that have been made.”

“Our aim is to start the 2020-21 season in August — the 22nd or 23rd latest. The date will be decided after consultation with the broadcasters. If matches behind closed doors are authorised, there is the possibility that. domestic cup finals will take place in August.”

“If the domestic cup finals take place, the winners will qualify for Europe. Otherwise, it will be fifth and sixth place from the league.”

“The board validated the end of the championship and the standings. Yes, there will be appeals, but the decisions made are binding.” [Translated from the French as per ESPN].

Premier League Still Set on Return

Yet another major league has ended the season. Project Restart has planned a period of returning to training, and then to competitions. They will conduct a video conference call on Friday. This will be a pivotal moment in whether they will remain as outliers in terms of wanting to continue with the football season. With Ligue 1 deciding enough is enough, it is yet unclear as to whether this will influence Project Restart’s decision making.

However, England won’t be the only nation to attempt a return to football. The BBC report that Switzerland’s Super League will “probably resume on 8 June if there’s no worsening of the outbreak.” As BBC also highlights, the future of Premier League football really depends on government policy. France had banned all sports until at least September, thus making any restart impossible. Germany are yet to decide on this area. But, the British Government are closely involved in the restart of sport, and keen to “return to action as soon as possible” (BBC).