Appearing at a government coronavirus briefing on Sunday, Illa talked about the prospect of La Liga returning. Since the beginning of March, there have been no Spanish top-flight games. And although there are hopes that matches can start in June, Illa carefully presented no deadlines.
La Liga may not resume until summer
Health Minister Salvador Illa declined to offer any guarantee that the Spanish football season would resume before summer arrives in Spain. Appearing at a government coronavirus briefing on Sunday, Illa talked about the prospect of La Liga returning. Since the beginning of March, there have been no Spanish top-flight games. And although there are hopes that matches can start in June, Illa carefully presented no deadlines. He said: “I can’t say whether football will be able to restart its activities before the summer”. La Liga teams were allowed to return to training. Perhaps in early May, provided that they comply with the Spanish government’s protocols.
RFEF’s proposals are “unworkable”
That decision was made at a meeting last weekend between Spain’s National Sports Council (CSD), the Royal Football Federation of Spain (RFEF), and La Liga. However, staging games are some way. It seems inevitable that any renewal will mean fixtures played initially behind closed doors. According to reports, clubs and league officials may be aiming for a return to action on June 6 or 13; However, Illa’s caution testifies to Spain’s unwillingness to rush with any such decision. Barcelona leads the league table after 27 rounds of the 38th game season, two points less than the closest rivals Real Madrid. Spain has been struck by the pandemic, which killed more than 23,000 people. The head coach of Barcelona, Quique Setien, recently said that the RFEF’s proposals to resume the La Liga season are “unworkable” amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Quique Setien – It’s impossible to start the season now
“Everyone wants to be prepared for when the season starts again. But that cannot happen until the health authorities can guarantee that there will be no problems,” Setien told reporters. “I read the protocol, and the reality is that I don’t know if it may be carried out as it is written. I think it’s impossible. It’s challenging from a logistic point of view. The situation is that it is, I don’t know if it means that it’s normal to give us the League title. I will not feel like a champion even having a larger ticket than when I arrived when we were equal with Real Madrid. It is a complicated situation for everyone. And it is important for me to find a solution as soon as possible. To go out and see others, and help people who experience this situation with greater intensity.”