Coronavirus condemns Chinese football to endless pre-season

Many footballers dread the rigours of pre-season training but in China they could be forgiven for hating it by now as stop-start preparations drag into a fifth month because of the coronavirus.

The Chinese Super League (CSL) was one of the earliest sporting victims of the pandemic with the February 22 start date indefinitely postponed in January.

The CSL could now begin in late June or early July but the uncertainty has left teams at all three levels of professional football treading water since the start of the year.

"Everyone was expecting the season would start at the end of February but now we don't know exactly when it will begin," AC Milan legend Roberto Donadoni, coach of second-division Shenzhen FC, told AFP in a recent interview.

"This is the biggest problem for me and everybody because when you know the exact start date, you put your focus on this day."
- 'Difficult time' - ====================