COVID-19: France cancel Ligue 1 season

The French football season has been cancelled after all sporting events – even behind closed doors – were banned until September.

As such, LFP bosses have given up their hopes of restarting the current campaign.

The decision was made as Prime Minister Edouard Philippe presented to the National Assembly on Tuesday afternoon his plan to stop all sporting activity in the country until September.

Therefore, that will see the end of the Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 seasons.

When the league returns to action in September, it will do so with the beginning of the 2020-21 campaign.

The LFP has not yet decided on promotion and relegation however.

That decision will be made at a league meeting next month.

Also on the agenda will be if reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain, 12 points clear at the top of Ligue 1, will retain their crown.

The French top-flight was targeting a mid-June return with players set to begin returning to training on May 11.

However this latest development means there will be no top-flight action in France this summer, while other European leagues are fighting to salvage their seasons.

Premier League clubs, including Arsenal and Tottenham, have returned to training this week as discussions continue over a restart date in England.

June 8 has been reported as a potential start date for the Premier League.

English professional football has been suspended since March 13, with the Premier League and the English Football League keeping a restart date under “constant review”.

The Italian football federation (FIGC) will hold a meeting of its executive council on May 8 to present its plans to a government scientific committee.

Meanwhile, UEFA is releasing £203 million to national associations affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

European football’s governing body confirmed the money is part of the HatTrick funding, with each association will receiving up to £3.75 millio.

Usually this money is released to develop specific and targeted areas, but because of the unprecedented financial impact of the COVID-19 outbreak UEFA will leave it up to its 55 member associations how best to use the money.