European Leagues Set End of June Deadline to Complete Major Domestic Competitions
By Ben Carter
Leagues across Europe will work to complete their domestic competitions by 30 June.
Football has been temporarily put on hold until April, but the Premier League and EFL are meeting later this week to discuss a plan of action which could see the 2019/20 season come to some sort of resolution.
However, UEFA have now announced that European leagues will now work towards completing the campaign before 30 June, which would avoid any legal issues surrounding players who are coming towards the end of their contract.
The likes of Willian (Chelsea), David Silva (Manchester City), Adam Lallana (Liverpool) and Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham Hotspur) are among the most high-profile players who will technically be free agents as of July.
On the continent, Paris Saint-Germain could lose five first-team players before they have the chance to complete their Ligue 1 campaign, including star striker Edinson Cavani.
Although this apparent deadline would avoid any issues with contracts, early estimations are that the coronavirus outbreak won't reach its peak until the middle of June.
Although it's just speculation, working towards a deadline of 30 June would almost certainly require some teams to play matches without some players who are having to self-isolate.
In addition, should European leagues be resumed to work towards the new deadline, many if not all games would have to be played behind closed doors, unless pessimistic projections for the coronavirus pandemic change drastically. This, in turn, could force clubs across the continent reliant on gate receipts to take a crippling hit to their finances.
When considering the restarting of leagues, there is also the serious issue of exposed players and staff in isolation.
Unless the outbreak takes a sudden turn for the better, it's difficult to see how any league in Europe would be able to complete up to 10 league fixtures and any cup competitions which are left to play over the next two and half months.
UEFA's Champions League and Europa League would also need to be completed in a similar timeframe to avoid any legal issues surrounding player contracts.
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