France’s Ligue 1 has become the first of the major 5 European soccer leagues to be canceled over the coronavirus
On March 13, French soccer was paused following French president Emmanuel Macron’s decision to impose a nationwide lockdown to combat the outbreak of the coronavirus. When Macron extended the lockdown until May 11, the French FA decreed that amateur soccer, including in the women’s game and in futsal, had to be abandoned this season.
The game’s shutdown plunged French football into crisis as both Canal+ and BeIN Sports threatened to hold back TV rights payments of a combined €152 million. Canal+ CEO Maxime Saada wrote to the Ligue de Football Professionnel that it was “not conceivable that we would pay future installments while, even if its due to the suspension of the Ligue 1 championship, no match can be played and, by extension, distributed on our channels.
French soccer administrators had envisaged a restart in the summer, but Phillipe dashed those hopes. Soccer won’t return until after August, not even behind closed doors. It is unclear now what will happen to Ligue 1’s final rankings. Previously, the French FA wrote that champions, relegated and promoted clubs will be determined by their points in league tables as of March 13, with the notable exception of the third division and the women’s topflight. In the ‘National 1’ stakes are high as promotion entails ascension to professional soccer.
European governing body UEFA has said that it wants entrants to European club competitions decided on sporting merit where possible, but also acknowledged that leagues may be forced to consider canceling their 2019-20 seasons due to financial pressures or directives from governments. As it stands, Paris Saint-Germain is top of the Ligue 1 table with 68 points from 27 matches played.
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