Decision ‘in days’ on Football League resuming

Chairman Rick Parry has identified July 31 as the final day 2019-20 matches can be played. With the League working on a 56-day plan, they must start no later than June 5.

Some players and coaches, including Barnsley’s Gerhard Struber, are isolating abroad.

”We want to resume for sporting integrity when it is safe,” Parry told a House of Commons select committee yesterday.

“We want no strain on NHS and frontline services. I think the Government want to work out when it is safe to return to training and then playing.

“We have 1,400 players coming out of contract at the end of June. That is a train coming down the tunnel very quickly.

“July 31 is the cut-off point for us. Within days, we need to be taking decisions and what we need is guidance on returning to play very, very quickly.”

Playing contracts typically run until June 30, but as those who do not find a new club in the first month after being released are paid for it by way of severance, it is thought they could play in July.

“We can’t go beyond July,” stressed Parry. “Players and staff have been furloughed (at clubs such as Bradford City and Doncaster Rovers) and to expect clubs to bring them back in now, to forgo the furlough, only to then find in a month they can’t play would be a complete mess.”

Angela Merkel is expected to ease coronavirus restrictions in Germany today, allowing its top two divisions to schedule a May 15 restart at tomorrow’s meeting.

Three Cologne players tested positive for Covid-19 last week, when Merkel was initially expected to approve a resumption, but training continued after they were quarantined for 14 days. Ten positive cases were discovered from 1,724 tests across the two divisions last week.

This week’s second wave has seen Bundesliga 2 side Erzgebirge Aue put its entire squad in home isolation after a staff member tested positive. They will be tested again tomorrow.

German clubs resumed training last month, compared to five Premier League clubs – including Sheffield United – returning for individual sessions last week.

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