By Andrew Warshaw
April 22 – In another blow to UEFA’s hopes of domestic leagues across Europe being completed, the Dutch Football Association has all but scrapped the rest of the season after a government ban on public events was extended until September 1 to prevent a resurgence of Covid-19 infections.
The Dutch said they “intend not to continue” the Eredivisie campaign having previously planned to resume on June 19 behind closed doors.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said it was “better to be cautious now than to have regrets later.”
“I would love to say we could go a lot further. But that is very scary and dangerous,” he said.
“We see a little improvement in the data, but just imagine that we would relax some measures, causing the virus to peak again. That’s something we all absolutely don’t want.”
“A rapid relaxation ensures that the virus can peak again, in a second wave . . . One person’s freedom should not be at the expense of another’s health.”
“This means no professional football until September 1,” he added, even, it would seem, with no fans present. “We cannot avoid having to make this sacrifice.”
A subsequent statement from the Dutch FA (KNVB) said: “No professional football can be played, even without an audience, until September 1. As a result, the board of professional football intends not to continue playing the 2019-20 league. Football under the auspices of the KNVB will not be played as long as the government does not consider it safe.”
The decision will be a particularly bitter pill to swallow for AZ Alkmaar who are behind leaders Ajax on goal difference.
The timing could not be more significant given that UEFA met on Tuesday by video conference with all its 55 member federations including the Dutch who nevertheless appeared to leave the door ever so slightly ajar.
“Based on the government’s decision today, the KNVB will consult with UEFA after which a decision will be confirmed,” said a statement. “On Friday, the clubs and other parties involved will meet to discuss the consequences.”
That meeting is reportedly expected to decide whether results and league positions be will declared null and void, or whether to go with results up until now.
“That the KNVB has not yet definitively cancelled the interrupted competitions is mainly because the professional football industry has come into financial difficulties due to the corona crisis,” the statement added.
If, or more likely when, the Dutch season is formally cancelled, it would follow Belgium’s top-flight in declaring the campaign over and throw into confusion which clubs qualify for Europe – and in which competitions.
Belgium recently broke ranks from the rest of Europe with just one match of the regular domestic season to go despite UEFA’s warning earlier this month that clubs could be barred from playing in Europe next season if they call off their competitions prematurely due to the coronavirus crisis.
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