French football clubs are bracing themselves for a major financial hit after Tuesday's government announcement that the current season would not be allowed to restart, with the uncertainty leaving even all-powerful Paris Saint-Germain facing potentially serious consequences.
Clubs had been optimistic that the season -- suspended in mid-March with 10 games remaining -- would be allowed to resume in mid-June behind closed doors.
That would have guaranteed revenue from television, but Prime Minister Edouard Philippe delivered a hammer blow in an address to the National Assembly as he detailed plans to ease the strict lockdown introduced to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
"The 2019-2020 professional sports leagues, notably football, cannot restart," Philippe said, while adding that gatherings of over 5,000 people would remain outlawed until September.
The French league will now meet on Thursday "to analyse the sporting and economic consequences" of the government announcement. The season could in theory still be played to a conclusion, somehow. Jean-Michel Aulas, the president of Lyon, insists as much.
"I wonder if we can't come up with a format which would allow us to finish the season in July or maybe August," Aulas said.
However, it is worth remembering that Lyon were seventh when the season was suspended and so stand to miss out on European qualification for the first time in 24 years if no more games are played.
In contrast, Nice president Jean-Pierre Rivere said the government had made "a wise decision, very responsible".
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Spanish football is hoping to return possibly in early June, with La Liga president Javier Tebas saying "football is an important economic driver that we need to reactivate like many others."
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