English football suspended through at least April 30
The re-evaluation date of April 3 was always optimistic, but we now have official confirmation that Premier League football will not return for at least an additional month.
With the postponement of Euro 2020 to the summer of 2021, domestic and European football will extend into the summer due to the spread of COVID-19.
Both the FA and UEFA are committed to finishing the club season, which bodes well for City’s Champions League title hopes. Although there may be a shortened version of both seasons, the fact that 2019/20 will get a sense of finality is highly encouraging.
Without nearly two months of playing, when the all clear is given to play, the landscape will be completely different across nearly every competition, from the format to the health and match fitness of players.
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There is no guarantee that the league will return on the new April 30 date, but rather, the re-evaluation deadline has been pushed to that point before public health officials will decide whether football can resume.
Games could continue behind closed doors, and while the Premier League evaluates playing multiple games per week or a playoff format, the Champions League could do a “Final Four” style showdown in Istanbul to crown the winner of the continent’s most prestigious trophy.
In my opinion, it is for the best that the sport’s governing bodies are committed to finishing the season, awarding champions, and deciding the fates of relegation and European spots on the pitch. Although this unprecedented crisis has seriously altered the landscape of football this season, when the world begins to recover, it is comforting that the season will not be completely lost.