La Liga Hoping to Announce Full Fixture List Next Week Ahead of Proposed 19 June Return
La Liga is hoping that government approval will allow the release of a full fixture list for the remainder of the 2019/20 campaign next week, ahead of a restart in June.
No La Liga action has been played since 10 March – when Real Sociedad beat Eibar – as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Spain was one of the earliest worst hit countries once Europe replaced China as the second epicentre of the outbreak.
The Spanish government responded with strict lockdown conditions that confined people to their homes. But the effectiveness of those measures has now seen them start to be relaxed, paving the way for the expected return of professional football next month.
El Partizado de COPE has reported that La Liga, with government permission, intends to announce the full schedule for the rest of the season at some point next week.
A restart as early as 12 June was dismissed by La Liga following the latest meeting on Thursday, but small group training, of up to 10 players, that has already begun will continue until 1 June.
? Informa @partidazocope
— El Partidazo de COPE (@partidazocope) May 21, 2020
? La próxima semana @LaLiga pretende anunciar todo el calendario con la aprobación del Gobierno
? LaLiga trabaja para que la competición arranque el viernes 19 de junio con el derbi sevillano, Sevilla-Betis#PartidazoCOPE pic.twitter.com/PeCYsg1leT
It is suggested that La Liga are working towards a 19 June restart, a week later than the initial proposed target, and will aim to kick things off with a derby clash between Sevilla and Real Betis.
Everything is still to play for in La Liga once the action resumes.
Only two points separate leaders Barcelona and chasers Real Madrid at the top of the table. The latter were in patchy form prior to the league being suspended, having one won only one of their previous four games and losing two of them. Perhaps oddly, the one game in that run they did win was the Clásico against Barcelona at the start of March.
The battle for Champions League places is ever so tight. Fourth place Real Sociedad and fifth place Getafe are level on 46 points, while third place Sevilla are only one ahead and Atletico Madrid just a single point behind in sixth place.
At the other end of the table, Mallorca and Leganes each won their last match prior to suspension and are both within touching distance of 17th place Celta Vigo. Eibar and Real Valladolid are also still not safe and a lot could change in 11 remaining games.
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