Aleksander Ceferin, the president of UEFA, has once again insisted that it is possible for domestic leagues to be played to completion this season as the SPFL wait to receive guidance on the Ladbrokes Premiership.
European football’s governing body is set to hold talks with their 55 member associations tomorrow to discuss the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and a meeting of their executive committee is scheduled to take place on Thursday via videoconference.
The SPFL, whose 42 clubs last week approved a resolution to curtail the Championship, League 1 and League 2 and give the board the power to do the same in the Premiership at a later date, are hoping to be given advice about how to proceed.
UEFA have warned countries across the continent that ending leagues prematurely could result in their leading clubs being barred from entering both the Champions League and Europa League next season.
And in an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, Ceferin expressed confidence that matches could take place behind closed doors and the 2019/20 campaign played to a finish despite the Covid-19 outbreak.
"The priority is the health of fans, players and managers,” he said. "I am an optimist by nature and I believe there are options that can allow us to start championships and complete them.
"We may have to play without spectators, but the most important thing I think is playing games. In such hard times it would bring people happiness and a certain sense of normality, even if the matches will only be on TV.
"It is early to say that we cannot complete the season. The impact would be terrible for clubs and leagues. We can finish, but we must respect the decisions of the authorities and wait for permission to return to play.
"It depends on when it will recover, if we can do it soon enough, leagues and cups could be played in parallel. There is no deadline for the Champions League and Europa League and there are no deadlines for the 2019/20 season. It all depends on when we start playing again.
"I'd also say the national teams could start playing in September. As for individual leagues and their decisions, football is interconnected. We have seen how important it is for UEFA and leagues to cooperate. The executive committee will review the cases."
Ceferin is adamant that both training sessions and competitive matches can resume in the weeks ahead despite social distancing restrictions if government guidelines on coronavirus are followed.
He said: "If the security measures are respected and the authorities give a green light, training can resume. For matches, you will need further consent.
"The authorities will only allow football to start again if these measures are taken efficiently and without harming the population.
"At first, it will be behind closed doors, but it is better to play without spectators than not to do it at all. Football would bring back the emotions and joy they desperately need in the homes of fans.
"The measures will be for a limited period, over time we will return to normal. We will still see full stadiums, I am sure of it."
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