Paris (AFP) – French football clubs are bracing themselves for a major financial hit after Tuesday’s government announcement that the current season would not be allowed to restart, with the uncertainty leaving even all-powerful Paris Saint-Germain facing potentially serious consequences.
Clubs had been optimistic that the season — suspended in mid-March with 10 games remaining — would be allowed to resume in mid-June behind closed doors.
That would have guaranteed revenue from television, but Prime Minister Edouard Philippe delivered a hammer blow in an address to the National Assembly as he detailed plans to ease the strict lockdown introduced to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
“The 2019-2020 professional sports leagues, notably football, cannot restart,” Philippe said, while adding that gatherings of over 5,000 people would remain outlawed until September.
The French league will now meet on Thursday “to analyse the sporting and economic consequences” of the government announcement. The season could in theory still be played to a conclusion, somehow. Jean-Michel Aulas, the president of Lyon, insists as much.
“I wonder if we can’t come up with a format which would allow us to finish the season in July or maybe August,” Aulas said.
However, it is worth remembering that Lyon were seventh when the season was suspended and so stand to miss out on European qualification for the first time in 24 years if no more games are played.
In contrast, Nice president Jean-Pierre Rivere said the government had made “a wise decision, very responsible”.
– Will PSG get title? –
Assuming no more matches take place, the league must decide how to end the season. It is understood that France will not follow the lead of the Netherlands, who decided to void their season with no champion, relegation or promotion.
Final placings could be attributed based on the standings as they are, or using an average of points per game.
PSG were 12 points clear with a game in hand when the campaign stopped, with Marseille and Rennes in Champions League qualifying berths.
France had reported 23,660 deaths from Covid-19 by Tuesday, one of the highest totals worldwide. However, the determination to get football up and running again was an economic one.
With UEFA eager to start next season in good time, Ligue 1 appears in an impossible situation.
Sports daily L’Equipe calculates that the top two divisions could now miss out on 243 million euros ($264 million) from broadcasters Canal Plus and beIN Sports, plus 35 million euros for international rights. That is on top of lost gate receipts and sponsorship.
from World Soccer Talk https://ift.tt/3eVpY3k
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