Professional football in England suspended until May following latest joint statement

Football in England will be suspended until at least May following a joint announcement from the FA, Premier League, EFL and women’s professional game.

The bodies had announced on Friday that the sport would be suspended until April 4^th at the earliest following confirmed cases of Covid-19 at Arsenal and Chelsea.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta tested positive for the virus following a Europa League game with Olympiacos, while Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi also announced his diagnosis.

With confirmed cases continuing to grow exponentially in the UK, and the government’s announcement that schools will be closed from Friday, the measures have been extended.

They also confirmed that the Premier League and Football League have been given permission by the FAI to delay the finish of the season past the June 1st deadline.

“We have collectively agreed that the professional game in England will be further postponed until no earlier than 30 April,” read a joint statement from the governing bodies.

“The FA’s Rules and Regulations state that "the season shall terminate not later than the 1 June" and ‘each competition shall, within the limit laid down by The FA, determine the length of its own playing season’.

“However, The FA’s Board has agreed for this limit to be extended indefinitely for the 2019/20 season in relation to Professional Football.”

Full statement:

The FA, Premier League, EFL and women’s professional game, together with the PFA and LMA, understand we are in unprecedented times and our thoughts are with everyone affected by COVID-19.

“We are united in our commitment to finding ways of resuming the 2019/20 football season and ensuring all domestic and European club league and cup matches are played as soon as it is safe and possible to do so.

We have collectively supported UEFA in postponing EURO 2020 to create space in the calendar to ensure domestic and European club league and cup matches have an increased opportunity to be played and, in doing so, maintain the integrity of each competition.

The FA’s Rules and Regulations state that "the season shall terminate not later than the 1 June" and "each competition shall, within the limit laid down by The FA, determine the length of its own playing season".

However, The FA’s Board has agreed for this limit to be extended indefinitely for the 2019/20 season in relation to Professional Football.

Additionally, we have collectively agreed that the professional game in England will be further postponed until no earlier than 30 April.

The progress of COVID-19 remains unclear and we can reassure everyone the health and welfare of players, staff and supporters are our priority. We will continue to follow Government advice and work collaboratively to keep the situation under review and explore all options available to find ways of resuming the season when the conditions allow.

We would all like to re-emphasise that our thoughts are with everyone affected by COVID-19.