Uefa puts closed-door games back on the agenda for SPFL

● Ceferin’s plan to play in empty grounds

Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin believes playing games behind closed doors could still be a way of finding a solution to fulfilling fixtures that remain outstanding due to the current lockdown.

PFA Scotland has already stated its resistance to such a plan in a statement released shortly after football was shut down last month. The players’ body stressed it was firmly against such an idea for health and safety reasons.

However,withanspflboard meeting due to take place tomorrow, Ceferin revealed the idea of staging games in empty stadiums is still very much on the table. He claimed it would bring “positive energy to …homes” and was a better option than not playing at all.

The SPFL board were understood to be leaning towards “calling” the season as it stands, which would mean Celtic being confirmed champions of the Premiership and Hearts relegated to the Championship. But it’s understood board members are rowing back from this intention following a threat from Uefa that clubs would be barred from European competition if national leagues did not explore every possibility of fulfilling fixtures.

“Football isn’t the same without fans,” said Ceferin in an interview on a sports magazine show in Germany. “But it is definitely better to play with fans than without fans.

“The thing is, football is absolutely not the same without spectators. But it is still better to play the game behind closed doors and have it on TV, which is what the people need and want because it brings positive energy to their homes, than not playing at all. “That’s what the people want, that brings positive energy, and it will be July or August. We can’t play it out in September or October.”

It was reported that Ceferin, in the course of the same interview, set a deadline of 3 August for when all the current season’s games must be played. A Uefa statement was later sent out correcting this. “The president was very clear not to set exact dates for the end of the season,” it said.

“Uefa is currently analysing all options to complete domestic and European seasons with the European Club Association and the European Leagues. Options are being studied to play matches in July and in August if needed, depending on restart dates and the permission of national authorities.”