La Liga President Sets Out Timeline for Season's End & Plans for 2020/21
By Josh Sim
La Liga president Javier Tebas has outlined his plans for both the end to the current season, as well as the 2020/21 campaign.
Like every other major football league, the Spanish top-flight was halted in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. But clubs have been preparing for a return to action, with training resuming at the start of May, and the league was also given permission from Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to resume in June.
Speaking to Marca, Tebas revealed more details on his plans for restarting both La Liga and the Segunda División, as well as mentioning the date he has set for the following season to begin.
La Liga players have returned to training and the intensity looks high - even Messi is throwing himself in to tackles! ?
— 90min (@90min_Football) May 20, 2020
(? via @LaLigaTV) pic.twitter.com/OWfbBwvaZJ
"We'll restart, if God allows, on June 11," the 57-year-old said. "We're hoping that Madrid and Barcelona pass into Phase Two [of the lockdown de-escalation plan], which is where we can play.
"There are more than 130 people at LaLiga working so that everything can be done in a new way. Travel, organisation, everything. We're prepared and the important thing will be the day we finish the league.
"We'll start next season on September 12."
1971 - @LaLigaEN will start 12th September the next season. Last time this tournament started so late was in 1970/1971 season when @valenciacf_en claimed Champion (just 12th September). Opening#LaLigaSantander pic.twitter.com/IOaNwTs0bi
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) May 29, 2020
Tebas also discussed how he planned to give viewers a choice in how they watch the remaining La Liga matches, which will all be played behind closed doors.
"Tonight, we have audiovisual tests so that the viewer can choose two images: the real one and one with a virtual crowd and crowd noise. We want to give the choice to the fans: silence or a simulation of the crowds. The tests I've seen are interesting and really catch your eye, but there will be two options."
Javier Tebas talking in Marca on-line conference. Says plan is for new season to start on September 12. (Much earlier than we expected).
— Sid Lowe (@sidlowe) May 29, 2020
(This season to finish July 12, which is earlier than initially planned, but then European competition will take up August).
It's already emerged that the league plan to begin with the Seville derby on 11 June, with ambitious plans to play games every day up until 19 July. This latest announcement from the La Liga president suggests that most teams will have a pre-season break of seven weeks before starting off the following campaign.
The three clubs of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid are also still competing in the unfinished Champions League, which is set to resume in August. Should it get played, the trio could have less than two weeks to prepare for the European club competition after the end of the Spanish league season.