Coronavirus Outbreak: Portuguese football’s second division season declared over; CD Nacional, Farense promoted to Primeira Liga

Lisbon: Portugal’s professional football league has declared the second division season to be over with 11 rounds of matches to play and promoted CD Nacional and Farense, it said in a statement. The league said it was “forced to decide on the definitive suspension of the LigaPro” following the government’s decision that only the top-flight Primeira Liga and the Portuguese Cup could restart following the coronavirus stoppage.

The Primeira Liga is due to resume on 30 May. The league said the standings at the time of the suspension on 12 March would be final, meaning Madeira-based Nacional and Algarve-based Farense would go up. The decision was taken in line with recommendations from the Portuguese football federation and European football’s governing body UEFA, it said. Nacional return after a one-year absence while Farense last played in the top flight in 2001-02. At one point, Farense dropped down to the amateur league after a series of financial crisis. Follow LIVE updates on Coronavirus Outbreak here