France PM announces no sports events or tournaments at least till September

The 2019-20 French football season has been cancelled after French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe called for no sports events or tournaments until at least September. The announcement was made after Philippe unveiled the plans for lockdown relaxation. 

"Big sporting events will not be able to take place before September," Philippe said. "The 2019-20 season, notably for football, will not be able to resume."

The decision hence puts an end to the Ligue 1 and Ligue 2's contemplation of a May return to



training grounds and gearing up for a subsequent mid-June restart. Moreover, it also adds pressure on UEFA given that Paris Saint-Germain had already qualified for the quarterfinals while Lyon lead Juventus following their first-leg encounter in the round of 16 of the Champions League. 

The Professional Football League (LFP) and French Football Federation (FFF) now have to answer questions related to promotion and relegation, qualification procedure for the next season's Champions League and a potential return for the next season.