FRENCH LEAGUE MULLS OVER RESTARTING CORONAVIRUS-HIT SEASON WITH TWO CUP FINALS IN JUNE

French football could resume its season in June with two cup finals, French Football Federation president Noel le Graet proposed on Friday (April 24).

He said that the French Cup final between Paris St-Germain and St Etienne could be played on either June 13 or 20, followed by the League Cup final between PSG and Lyon three days later.

He suggested that it would be the appropriately symbolic way to restart professional soccer after its suspension last month because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“It would offer a good image for both professional and amateur football,” le Graet told reporters after Friday’s meeting of the French professional league.

“The restart of the championship is still to be decided but we might change the calendar a bit to play the cup finals first.

“My proposition has not been contradicted so I consider that until someone says ‘no’ to me, it is a ‘yes’.”

A restart for Ligue 1 had been provisionally set for June 17 but le Graet conceded that it would depend on government approval.

“The ministers hold the key to the restart but the will of the league and the clubs is to restart,” he added.

“We have to get everything in order to try and resume the season, which is a priority that was emphasised by the UEFA executive committee on Thursday.”

-Reuters