Coronavirus pandemic: Suspension of professional leagues in England to be extended till 30 April, says Football Association

The Football Association announced on Thursday that it would be extending the suspension of domestic football in England until at least 30 April, after discussions with the Premier League, EFL and a number of other relevant parties. [caption id=“attachment_8013021” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Reuters[/caption] Last week, all professional football matches in England, including the Premier League, Football League (EFL) and Women’s Super League (WSL), were put on hold until 4 April. Shortly after, non-league and amateur football were also brought to a halt. ‘The FA’s Rules and Regulations state that “the season shall terminate not later than the 1 June” and “each competition shall, within the limit laid down by The FA, determine the length of its own playing season,” said the body in a statement issued on its website. It added: “However, our Board has agreed for this limit to be extended indefinitely for the 2019-20 season in relation to professional football. Additionally, we’ve collectively agreed that the professional game in England will be further postponed until no earlier than Thursday 30 April.” The move came about as a result of UEFA’s decision to postpone the European Championships to 2021, freeing up space in the calendar for domestic tournaments to finish their seasons. “We’ve collectively supported UEFA in postponing EURO 2020 to create space in the calendar to ensure domestic and European club league and cup matches have an increased opportunity to be played and, in doing so, maintain the integrity of each competition,” said the statement. Click here to follow all the live updates about the coronavirus pandemic