In an interview with Corriere della Sera, which appeared in today’s print edition of the Milan based newspaper, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has spoken on the possible resumption of the 2019/20 season.
“The priority is the health of the fans, players and managers. I am optimistic by nature, I believe there are options that can allow us to start again and complete the seasons,” he explained.
“We may have to resume without spectators, but the most important thing I think is playing games. In such hard times it would bring people happiness and a certain sense of normalcy even if the games will be only on TV.
“It is still too early to say that we cannot complete the season. The impact would be terrible for clubs and leagues. We must respect the decisions of authorities and wait for permission to return to playing.”
He was then asked whether leagues will be played first and then the Champions League and Europa League.
“Will the leagues have precedence over the cups? It depends on when we will be able to restart. If we can do it soon enough, they could be played in parallel with one another. There is no deadline for the cup finals. It all depends on when we start playing again.”
Next he was asked about Serie A’s aim to have their clubs back in training from the beginning of next month.
“If the safety measures are respected and if the authorities give a green light then training could resume. For matches though, further consent will be needed”
He was then asked if there is a deadline for the 2019/20 season to be concluded and if the season could be concluded between September and October.
“No, there is no specific deadline. We are exploring a variety of options to see when competitions could end, always based on the dates to restart. Playing in September and October? I think it would be difficult. It would have a big impact on the 2020-21 season.”
Ceferin then went on to reiterate how important health is at the moment.
“Health is the priority, we will respect safety measures pending the authorities’ ok. We will discuss the post-2024 international calendar and agree on future scenarios but it is early to talk about potential solutions.”
Ceferin was then asked about the possibility of all European leagues adopting the same calendar.
“Total harmonisation is difficult due to different climatic conditions. In some countries it is not possible to play for several months in winter.”
He was then asked about the financial damage that clubs will suffer due to the crisis and if the current Financial Fair Play system is too stringent.
“We have already suspended some conditions, but we will not scrap financial fair play. It has brought many benefits, but it must not be an obstacle. We will be flexible.”
In conclusion he was asked the the possible extension of the transfer market: “We need to give more flexibility to clubs and players. It seems to me that extending the transfer window is a good option.”
