UEFA chief weighs up fate of Sheffield Wednesday's season after return of German football

The president of UEFA considers it likely that the Championship will follow the example set by the German Bundesliga this weekend in being completed behind closed doors.
By Alex Miller
Published 18th May 2020, 12:00 BST
Updated 18th May 2020, 17:54 BST
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Since the suspension of football due to the coronavirus at the start of March there has been huge speculation as to whether the season would be completed or decided by other means.

Should the remainder of the Championship season be cancelled, the EFL’s blueprint would see the division decided by an unweighted points-per-game model, leaving Sheffield Wednesday in 15th place – subject to a points deduction in the event of a guilty finding in their EFL charge.

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But UEFA chief Aleksander Ceferin is confident the campaigns of Wednesday and their rivals will be completed more organically, albeit in front of empty terraces.

“We have a concrete plan of finishing the European season,” Ceferin said to beIN Sports over the weekend.

“Of course, this summer we will have to play without spectators at the stadiums.”

Ceferin gave a concrete idea of the timescales needed to complete the season given the constraints of UEFA competition and the European Championships, postponed until next summer.

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EFL chief Rick Parry has said the English season would have to be completed by the end of July with around 1,400 football league players out of contract by then.

UEFA chief Aleksander Ceferin has spoken about the likelihood of a restart to the Championship season after German football got back underway this weekend.UEFA chief Aleksander Ceferin has spoken about the likelihood of a restart to the Championship season after German football got back underway this weekend.
UEFA chief Aleksander Ceferin has spoken about the likelihood of a restart to the Championship season after German football got back underway this weekend.

Ceferin said: “I think the majority of leagues will finish the season. The ones who will not, it’s their decision, but they will still have to play qualifiers if they want to participate in the European UEFA competition.

“I can say that the European season will be finished, if everything is as it is now, in August.

“The national leagues are a separate thing and they will decide separately how they want to proceed. But I think at least 80 per cent [of domestic leagues] will finish the season.

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“We trust Germans, their authorities are very serious. It’s not only about football,” Ceferin said.

“It’s about people being depressed because we are locked down, because there is so much uncertainty, and football brings life to a usual level.

“Football brings positive energy. It’s easier to be home if you can watch sports!”

Related topics:UEFAEFL