Swiss league submits plan for possible resumption of matches

The Swiss football league (SFL) says it has submitted a detailed plan to the government, drawn up in co-operation with health experts, for the possible resumption of training and matches in the aftermath of the coronavirus shutdown.

The Swiss government last week announced a gradual end to restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the novel coronavirus, starting with beauty salons and hairdressers on April 27.

This raised hopes the football season, which was suspended on March 2, could get underway again in the near future.

Football in Europe is currently at a standstill although teams in neighbouring Germany and Austria have restarted training under strict social distancing restrictions in preparation for a resumption of their seasons.

The SFL said in a statement that restarting the championship, even with matches played behind closed doors, could be a positive sign for the country in general but was also necessary to prevent the financial ruin of Swiss football.

"With the resumption of play with 'ghost games' (matches without spectators), under scientific supervision and combined with a risk management concept, top football wants to send a signal that it is possible to return to something closer to normality as soon as possible," it said.

"This seems to be the only viable way to save Swiss professional football in its current form while at the same time complying with the important requirements for the protection of players and the population."

The SFL, which teamed up with the Institute of Infectious Diseases (IFIK) at Bern University, said the plan contained "possible scenarios for the resumption of training operations and the organisation of ghost games and is intended to serve as a basis for a decision by the authorities on professional football."

It said the documents were also intended as a general guide "to show how training, competitions and also leisure sports activities can take place again within the framework of the protective measures that are still in force".