Uefa chief fears season could yet be abandoned

The president of Uefa has warned that “the season is probably lost” if the coronavirus crisis prevents football returning before the end of June.

Aleksander Ceferin revealed European football’s governing body had a “Plan A, B and even C” for resuming the campaign, but admitted that abandoning it was also under consideration.

Ceferin’s warning came as it emerged that Premier League players could be told to stop training and take an early annual holiday – albeit at home – in case there ends up being no real break between the end of this season and the start of next.

The Premier League, English Football League and Football Association have agreed an indefinite extension to the campaign, but may be forced to scrap those plans if Uefa cancels this season’s Champions League and Europa League and schedules next term’s competitions to start before the English game can complete its fixtures.

“In this dramatic moment, the most important thing is people’s health and getting out of this crisis,” Ceferin told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica.

“We don’t know when this pandemic will end, but we have a Plan A, B and even C. We are in contact with the leagues, with the clubs, there’s a working group. We have to wait, like any other sector. [We could] start again in mid-May, in mid-June or at the end of June. Then, if we don’t succeed, the season is probably lost.

“There is also the proposal to end this season at the start of the next, which would then be postponed, starting a little later. We will see what the best solutions for the different leagues and clubs are.”

Ceferin cast doubt on plans to play matches behind closed doors.

He said: “It’s difficult to imagine all the games behind closed doors, but now we don’t even know if we will resume, with or without spectators.”