FANTASY FOOTBALL
hampden bosses staggered by Uefa plan for playoffs at peak of covid-19 outbreak
SCOTTISH football was left in limbo last night after UEFA’s new fixture schedule to extend the domestic season was branded a “fantasy”.
Hampden top brass are believed to have been staggered by the revelation suspending Euro 2020 for a year was to allow play-offs for the tournament and European
domestic leagues to be finished in June.
UEFA have also set up a working group tasked with completing the Champions League and Europa League over the next three months and rescheduled Scotland’s crunch Euro play-off against Israel to June.
With fears the game in this country could remain in lockdown until August or even as late as September these plans are seen as wildly optimistic.
A source said: “The authorities in this country had been hoping for some strong leadership from the governing body. The reality is they’ve shirked the issue.
“They have postponed Euro 2020 for a year but that was always going to be the case. If the Euros can’t be played in cities like London and Glasgow in June and July then how exactly are domestic matches supposed to go ahead there?
“Effectively, what UEFA have said is that the remaining European ties could be going ahead in April, May and June. From where we’re sitting right now that’s just fantasy.
“If the advice from medical experts is correct it’s impossible to imagine we’d be in any position to play Israel in June. That’s when the virus is expected to peak in this country.” SFA chief Ian Maxwell and league counterpart Neil Doncaster were locked in urgent talks following yesterday’s announcement. They fear hopes will now have been raised unrealistically of salvaging the current season when the majority of Scotland’s clubs were resigned to the campaign being abandoned. Financially strapped clubs had been hoping to be given the go-ahead to claim insurance policies for loss of earnings. Our source added: “What these clubs need is clarity as they attempt to keep their heads above the water. The message they got from UEFA yesterday added to the confusion and will have heightened their concerns.”
The Joint Response Group released a statement in which Maxwell revealed April’s Scottish cup semis and the final on May 9 are postponed.
He hinted strongly that Steve Clarke’s national side will be unlikely to be able to take on the Israelis the following month.
Maxwell said: “As well as the agreement to postpone Euro 2020 until next year, we also received indications that our UEFA Nations League Play-Off semi-final against Israel at Hampden Park, due to be played on March 26, is now scheduled to take place in early June.
“While we await more specific information from UEFA, there is a limit to how we prepare for a June match in the context of the pandemic.”
Maxwell also stopped short of announcing new dates for the Scottish Cup semis or for the final itself.
He said: “Given the fastmoving nature of this unprecedented situation, and the imperative to safeguard health, we will consider future dates for the cup ties when the situation becomes clearer.
“We are, however, committed to completing the competition at the appropriate time, in front of spectators.”
A UEFA spokesman said: “A working group has been set up to examine calendar solutions that would allow for the completion of the current season and any other consequence of decisions made today.”