PARIS: The 2019-20 French football season is over after French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced that no sporting events will take place until at least September.
“Big sporting events will not be able to take place before September,” Philippe said. “The 2019-20 season, notably for football, will not be able to resume.”
The board of directors of French football’s governing body Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), which met later Tuesday following the French Prime Minister’s declarations, stated: “As has been the case since the beginning of this health crisis, the LFP will adhere strictly to the decisions of the government and medical authorities.
“The board of directors will meet on 30 April to analyse the sporting and economic consequences of the measures announced by the Prime Minister.
“Following this meeting the board of directors will have to formally decide to end the 2019-20 season and call a general assembly of the LFP.”
The decision ends Ligue 1 and Ligue 2’s hopes of returning to training in May for a mid-June restart and puts further pressure on UEFA regarding the Champions League, with Paris Saint-Germain in the quarterfinals and Lyon leading Juventus in their round-of-16 tie. UEFA had planned to play the Champions League to a finish in August but this is becoming increasingly doubtful, ESPN reports.
French federation president Noel Le Graet confirmed the end to the season shortly afterward.
Le Graet told French media outlet Le Telegramme: “Ligue 1, Ligue 2, Championnat National and the D1 Feminine are definitively stopped for the 2019-20 season.”
Le Graet also ruled out the scenario of starting the 2020-21 season in January or February, ESPN further reports.
