Competitions all over the world have been postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and Goal has taken a look at when the divisions could restart
The coronavirus pandemic has caused almost every professional football league around the world to suspend play.
Despite initially trying to play on through the outbreak, governments stepped in to ensure matches were played behind closed doors before the leagues were ultimately suspended.
Goal has taken a look at the state of the major leagues across Europe as they look to finish their seasons in a timely manner.
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Which leagues have been suspended?
Serie A was first to suspend play with Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte banning sporting events in the Lombardy and Veneto regions in February.
It was then announced on March 4 that all matches in the country would have to be played behind closed doors before calling a halt to Serie A proceedings on March 9.
Just a few days later, La Liga was suspended after a Real Madrid basketball player tested positive for Covid-19 and the entire Real Madrid football team was placed in quarantine due to the two sides sharing a training facility.
The 2020 MLS season was just two weeks old when commissioner Don Garber postponed the campaign for at least a month on March 12.
March 13 proved to be arguably the most damning day in football, with the Premier League, Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga all suspending their respective leagues in the space of 24 hours.
Following news that Nottingham Forest and Olympiakos owner Evangelos Marinakis tested positive for coronavirus, Mikel Arteta was also diagnosed with it in the aftermath of Arsenal’s Europa League match with the Greek outfit in February.
Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi tested positive for it on March 13, too , with the entire Everton first team and staff going into self-isolation later that day.
The English Football League suspended the Championship, League One and League Two on March 13.
When will leagues return?
Many leagues are currently intending to return around the same time, with the first weekend in April circled as the earliest possible date to restart.
That means only two matches will have to be rearranged thanks to the international break initially being scheduled for the final weekend in March, although those fixtures are now in doubt.
Serie A, Bundesliga and La Liga are all hoping to return to action by April 4, although Italian Footballers’ Association (AIC) president Damiano Tommasi said it will be ‘impossible’ for Serie A to start again by then .
The Premier League had initially been on a similar time frame, but changed their forecast to April 30 in an announcement on March 19.
MLS has been placed on a one-month hiatus and is set to restart on Saturday April 11, whilst there is currently no return date for Ligue 1 after the league was suspended ‘until further notice’.
| League | Intended Return Date |
|---|---|
| Bundesliga | April 2 |
| Serie A | April 3 |
| Premier League | April 30 |
| La Liga | April 4 |
| MLS | April 12 |
| Ligue 1 | Until further notice |
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