adminParis St Germain will look at playing Champions League home matches in another country after the French government on Tuesday decided to end the 2019-20 domestic season, the Ligue 1 club’s president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said on Tuesday.
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe earlier announced that professional football, rugby and other league sports would not be allowed to return before September due to the Covid-19 pandemic that has hit the country hard.
France has the world’s fourth-highest death toll from the virus — behind the United States, Italy and Spain — with nearly 23 300 deaths reported.
The French football league is expected to decide in May exactly how to end the Ligue 1 season but European governing body UEFA is considering the possibilities for resuming its Champions League and Europa League competitions.
“We respect of course the French government decision. We plan on competing in the Champions League with UEFA agreement, wherever and whenever it is held,” Al-Khelaifi was quoted as saying by French media.
Tour de France may have
to limit spectators
The Tour de France may have to limit spectators during the first days of the race in order to comply with a ban on major events gathering more than 5 000 people before September, the French sports ministry said.
Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said on Tuesday that major sporting and cultural events bringing together more than 5 000 participants could not be held before September as he announced plans for a gradual end of a nationwide coronavirus lockdown from May 11.
Philippe did not specifically mention the Tour de France, which has been postponed to August 29-September 20 from its original June 27 start date.
“It is too early to say (how this will impact the Tour) but for now this does not imply a postponement nor a cancellation, but it does not rule out arrangements notably in terms of number of spectators,” a sports ministry spokeswoman said.
Spiralling costs amid coronavirus could spell ruin for EFL clubs
Spiralling wages in the Football League combined with the damaging impact of the long break in play due to the coronavirus pandemic are prompting fears that English clubs outside of the Premier League could go to the wall.
While Premier League clubs hope that a restart in June, albeit behind closed doors, will secure their continued lucrative television revenues, the prospect of playing without fans is a major concern for lower league clubs who receive only a fraction of the broadcast cash.
Andy Holt, the chairman of League One club Accrington Stanley, said on Tuesday that clubs could go out of business if they are forced to play without match-day revenue.
“I want to know how we fund the behind-closed-doors end to this season, also how we operate next season if crowds are still not allowed?
“There’s no point even trying for some clubs. It does not work. No point wasting cash now, only to go bust later,” he wrote on Twitter — Eurosport.
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