LONDON • Uefa has stated its determination that the current season should be played to a conclusion and threatened that teams may be excluded from the Champions League or Europa League if domestic leagues are ended prematurely.
In a joint letter released on Thursday, European football's governing body Uefa, the European Club Association and the European Leagues umbrella group representing nearly a thousand clubs in 29 countries said they were working on the possibility of extending the season into July and August.
The Champions League and Europa League - both of which are frozen at the last-16 stage as a result of the coronavirus pandemic - could then resume once the domestic leagues are completed.
Bringing about a successful conclusion remains Uefa's priority, which added that "stopping competitions should really be the last resort after acknowledging that no calendar alternative would allow to conclude the season".
The response came after the Belgian league on Thursday recommended the campaign be abandoned with just one round of play before the start of the play-offs.
The decision is set to be formally validated at the league's general assembly on April 15, meaning that Club Brugge would be declared champions as they sit 15 points clear of Gent at the top of the table.
It is the first European league to take such a measure, although more could follow.
Related Story Football: Uefa suspends Champions League, Europa League 'until further notice' Related Story Football: Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin admits current season may not finish Club Brugge would in theory go straight into the next Champions League group stage, but the letter indicated that they may be barred from continental competition.
"It is of paramount importance that even a disruptive event like this epidemic does not prevent our competitions from being decided on the field, in accordance with their rules and that all sporting titles are awarded on the basis of results," the letter said. "We are confident that football can restart in the months to come - with conditions that will be dictated by public authorities - and believe that any decision of abandoning domestic competitions is, at this stage, premature and not justified."
With Champions League or Europa League qualification determined by a club's position at the end of a full domestic competition, an early termination would cast doubts about the fulfilment of such a condition. The letter added: "Uefa reserves the right to assess the entitlement of clubs to be admitted to the 2020-21 Uefa club competitions."
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
