Coronavirus: Ligue 1 And 2 Seasons Cancelled As French Government Announces Ban On All Sporting Events

Top professional sports leagues in France, Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 have been cancelled after French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced that football games, even behind closed doors will not be allowed until September.

Last week, the French Professional Football League (LFP) had announced plans for Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 to resume on June 17, with UEFA setting a deadline of August 2 for domestic leagues to be completed.

However, Philippe while unveiling France’s plans to exit social distancing on Tuesday said that sports remain prohibited in the coming months.

He stated that;

The big sporting affairs cannot occur before September. The 2019-20 football season cannot return.

While it will be permissible for people to exercise outdoors after May 11, Philippe added that;

It will not be possible to practice sport in covered places, nor team or contact sports. If the health indicators are not there, we will not end confinement on May 11. Gatherings will also be limited to just 10 people as part of the new rules.

The Professional Football League (LFP) and French Football Federation (FFF) will now have to decide how to deal with the questions of promotion, relegation and European qualification concerning the top three tiers of French footbal.

The associations will also have to decide whether there is a potential to restart football in August.