Coronavirus Outbreak: Eredivisie to decide on champions, promotion and relegation after meeting with clubs on Friday
Professional football in the Netherlands is effectively over for the rest of the season but clubs must wait until Friday to find out if champions are to be declared and what will happen about promotion and relegation.
Amsterdam: Professional football in the Netherlands is effectively over for the rest of the season but clubs must wait until Friday to find out if champions are to be declared and what will happen about promotion and relegation.
The government’s decision on Tuesday to extend a ban on public events until 1 September in an effort to prevent a new wave of COVID-19 cases brought a premature close to the league campaign, which was suspended last month due to the pandemic.
Representative photo. AFP
Dutch clubs had been divided over whether to try and get the season back underway, as encouraged by UEFA, but that debate was ended when Prime minister Mark Rutte extended restrictions by three more months.
Related Articles
The Dutch Football Association (KNVB) was quick to follow Rutte’s address with a statement effectively calling off the rest of the 2019-20 campaign, although they said they would be consulting with UEFA before final confirmation.
It set a meeting on Friday with all clubs and other stakeholders, including the players’ union, to discuss the way forward for the two professional divisions.
Ultimately the decisions will be made by two men — Eric Gudde and Jean-Paul Decossaux — who make up the FA’s professional football board, but with input from the clubs.
Defending champions Ajax Amsterdam were leading the league table but only on goal difference from surprise package AZ Alkmaar when the season was suspended in early March.
Ajax were in something of a slump when the league was stopped, having been hauled in by AZ, who have also beaten them home and away this season.
A decision on promotion and relegation is also anticipated. Cambuur Leeuwarden and De Graafschap had a healthy lead at the top of the second division while RKC Waalwijk were floundering at the bottom of the top flight.
Also to be discussed is the outcome of the Dutch Cup final between Feyenoord and Utrecht, which had been scheduled for 19 April.
Clarity on how to determine who competes in next season’s European club competitions is expected from UEFA on Thursday.
also read
Karim Benzema joins Saudi Arabia club Al-Ittihad on a three-year contract
Benzema will join his former Real Madrid teammate Cristiano Ronaldo in the Gulf kingdom after the five-time world player of the year moved to Al Nassr last year.
Real Madrid to focus on rebuilding their attack after losing Karim Benzema
Benzema, the team’s top striker in recent seasons and last year's Ballon d’Or winner, decided this weekend that he will not be back after 14 years at the club.
Edwin van der Sar to quit as Ajax chief after 'tough period
Former Netherlands goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar announced Tuesday he was quitting as Ajax chief executive, after 'an incredibly tough period' of more than a decade at the helm of the Amsterdam powerhouse.