France's Ligue 1 cancelled; no sporting event in country till September says PM Philippe

Even as the UEFA set deadlines for European leagues to plan a restart after being hit by the Coronavirus pandemic, France's Ligue 1 will not restart as the remainder of the season has been cancelled. The announcement was made by France's Prime Minister Edouard Philippe on Tuesday who confirmed that no sporting events will take place in the country until September. 

However, the governing bodies of French football are due to meet in May to discuss the final league standings, with it yet to be determined who will be crowned champions, who will be relegated and who will win promotion. PSG are expected to be crowned as champions of the 2019-20 season owing to their first position hold with a 12-point lead over second-placed Marseille. 
Earlier, the Euro 2020 was also suspended to 2021. 

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Premier League return?

The Coronavirus pandemic led to the suspension of the English top-flight competition on March 13 and footballers have been advised to remain indoors ever since. The rumours of a Premier League return have got football fans on the edge of their seats amid the lockdown. The UEFA has asked for a solution by the top leaders in the Premier League over a possible resumption of English top-division football. UEFA has agreed that qualification for next season's Champions League and Europa League will be decided on 'sporting merit' this season.

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UEFA to hold conference meeting on May 27

The UEFA executive committee is set to hold a conference meeting on May 27 to decide whether the remaining fixtures in European competitions can be completed in August. The top officials at UEFA will be supportive of any league that is unable to provide clarity by May 25, due to government implications of the Coronavirus lockdown. UEFA has made strong recommendations for the current domestic season to be completed, even accepting suggestions of a 'different format' rather than cancelling of the entire campaign.

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