French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said at the Paris National Assembly that “the 2019/20 season in professional sports, especially football, cannot be resumed”. Philippe suddenly ended hopes of a continuation of the championship in France, which had been suspended since mid-March.
In the late evening, Noel Le Graet, the president of the French Football Association (FFF), confirmed the end of the current championship in an interview with “L’Equipe”. “It’s over,” said Le Graet. At the same time, he expressed the wish that the 2020/21 season already start with “ghost games” in August. The Ministry of Sports previously said that no games, even without spectators, were allowed until the end of July, but the season could still continue in August.
Master question not yet resolved
What the termination means for the evaluation of this championship is still unclear. Series champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) are ten rounds ahead of Olympique Marseille in a game less than twelve points. If PSG were declared champions, it would be the seventh championship title for the team from the capital in the past eight years.
Originally, the league wanted to continue playing without an audience from June 17th. It won’t happen. From May 11th, individual sports in the fresh air should be allowed again, but not community activities. For the time being, the clubs will not be able to return to training.
PSG boss wants to continue playing Champions League
For example, like Olympique Lyon, Paris is also represented in the UEFA Champions League. The European Football Association (UEFA) hopes to end the competition in August. “We respect the decision of the French government. We plan for the Champions League whenever and wherever it is played. If it is not possible to play in France, we will play abroad, ”said PSG boss Nasser Al-Khelaifi, for whom the European premier class is a priority anyway.
The end of the season is associated with considerable financial losses for the clubs. The clubs would lose more than 100 million euros in TV money, and there would also be a lack of revenue from ticketing and sponsoring. France is the second European football league to fall victim to the corona virus after the Netherlands. The demolition scenario also threatens in Belgium, which postponed its decision to early May.
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