Before that date, each league must inform the governing body
of European football about whether
or not it plans to resume competition. European associations and leagues have
until May 25 as the deadline to communicate their future planning to UEFA, if
domestic competitions are resumed or if they are terminated due to the impossibility
of doing so due to the coronavirus
pandemic.
The highest European
body has provided the 55 member associations with guidelines on the principles
of eligibility for club competitions for the 2020-21 seasons. This is a key week in various countries in terms
of plans on whether or not to resume.
In order to know the teams that participate in them, the
current season must be resolved, either by playing or terminating them
prematurely, as the Netherlands has already announced, for example.
In this case, the federations must send the list of teams
designated to compete in the next continental club competitions.
According to the document sent by UEFA, the first point indicates that admission "is based on
sports merit", so it urges associations and leagues "to explore all
possible options" to give a natural end to domestic tournaments.
It specifies in the second point that before May 25
associations and leagues must inform UEFA of their planning on the resumption
of their competitions and communicate the date in which they will play again
and the format that is applied.
However, it indicates that while trying to complete national
competitions, associations and leagues may "have legitimate reasons to
prematurely end their competitions" due to "the existence of an
official order prohibiting sporting events so that national competitions do not
may be completed or highly unlikely to be completed before a date that allows
the current season to be completed on time.”
It also understands that there may be "specific economic
and financial justifications that would make the resumption of the season"
unwise "or that" could jeopardize the long-term financial stability
of the national competition and / or clubs. "