La Liga clubs were gradually given permission to restart team training, while the players underwent a regular test for the novel coronavirus.
Barcelona's Argentine forward Lionel Messi (R) kicks the ball during the Spanish league football match FC Barcelona against SD Eibar at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on February 22, 2020. (Photo by Josep LAGO / AFP)
La Liga boss Javier Tebas has said that the 2019-20 season might resume on June 12 after the Spanish government allowed all the sporting activities in the country to resume from June 8 following suspension of more than two months due to the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Spanish government has given the green light for the return of professional sport – including #LaLigaSantander and #LaLigaSmartBank – as of June 8th, following guidelines from the Ministry of Health,” LaLiga tweeted.
Reacting to the news on Twitter, Tebas said: “We are very happy for the decision, it is the result of the great work of clubs, players, technicians, CSD (National Sports Council) and agents involved.”
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“But we cannot lower our guard, it is important to follow health regulations and ensure the pandemic doesn’t come back,” he added as quoted by IANS.
“The resumption of major professional sporting competitions and in particular La Liga will be allowed from the week of June 8,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told a press conference on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the La Liga players were allowed to resume individual outdoor training in the first week of this month. The clubs were gradually given permission to restart team training with small groups, while the players underwent a regular test for the novel coronavirus.
The Spanish government has been easing the restrictions in phases after imposing the nationwide lockdown in mid-March because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Though cities like Madrid and Barcelona were not directed to relax confinement guidelines, football teams there, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, got the go-ahead to move into the second phase of training.
Group meetings between players and coaching staff have also been allowed in some parts of the country if the clubs maintain social distancing measures, while referees have also been given the green light to train in sports facilities.
The clubs and players have been strictly asked to follow the health guidelines laid by the government. Players, club employees, coaching staff and everyone involved in the training will have to be tested every day for the coronavirus.
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