There will be no exemptions from confinement before May 11 for top athletes and the various championships, which remain pending, can not resume until mid-June at the earliest, if sanitary conditions allow. This is the message passed by the ministry of sports to the various national leagues which, like football and rugby, still hope to be able to complete, in one way or another, their seasons, according to Ouest France.
It is therefore not until May 11 that teams should be able to return to training. At this point, players should not benefit from Covid-19 testing, the sports ministry said. West France. Emmanuel Macron had explained, Monday evening, that the tests should target in priority people with symptoms.
In view of the time necessary for “getting back into the legs” (between three and four weeks), the Ministry of Sports considers, according to West France, that, if sanitary conditions allow, the championships will resume in mid-June at best. And this will be done behind closed doors until mid-July, at a minimum. The exit from the camera would then be gradual.
For French football, for example, which has established two recovery scenarios, from June 3 or from June 17, this means that the latter option could be chosen. The objective of Ligue 1, which says it is resolved to play behind closed doors, is to finish the championship by July 25 at the latest (to make way for the end of the Champions League in particular) and to be able to start the following season August 23.
No mass competitions in Germany and Belgium until the end of August
In Germany, "Major events (including those related to sport), which play an important role in the spread of the virus, will remain prohibited until August 31"Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday after meeting with leaders of the 16 regional states.
This decision means that supporters will not be allowed to go to the stadiums until at least September. Bavarian head of government Markus Söder, however, insisted that closed-door matches (especially football) were always an option.
"The Bundesliga was not a topic of discussion today. The League itself is working on security conditions and we will certainly have to talk about it soon: if and in what form matches behind closed doors will be possible ”said Mr. Söder. The German Football League is scheduled to convene its virtual general meeting on April 23 to decide on a date and conditions for resuming closed-door competitions.
In Belgium, the "Mass events" will also remain banned until August 31, the government said on Wednesday. The containment measures in force since mid-March to contain the coronavirus pandemic are extended until May 3 inclusive.
The Pro League’s board of directors had already suggested ending the championship in early April, a decision which is expected to be formalized by the General Meeting of Professional Clubs on April 24. However, UEFA had threatened Belgian clubs with a ban on European competition if it ended "Premature" and not justified of the championship.
