FIFA: No football until September, medical committee chairman suggests

There should be no football events until at least September 1, FIFA Medical Committee chairman Michel D’Hooghe suggests.

As per an online source citing D’Hooghe’s television interview, the chief believes safety is the top priority right now, even if it would mean the football world sacrificing a lot in the process.

“The world is not ready for competitive football, I hope this can change very quickly and I sincerely hope that. Today you need more patience,” D’Hooghe told Sky Sports News chief reporter Bryan Swanson.

“This is the most dramatic situation we have lived in since the Second World War. We should not underestimate it, we must be realistic.”

The English Premier League, for instance, has been given until May 25th by the UEFA to submit its proposals for a season continuation.

The German Bundesliga is also exploring reopening its season.

In contrast, France and Netherlands have already cancelled their football seasons recently.

Adding that the issue is not only economical but already a “matter of life and death,” D’Hooghe said football may only return if the entire world returns to its normal, pandemic-free state.

“Football can only be possible if contact is possible again. Football remains a contact sport and avoiding contact is one of the first things everyone says is that you should avoid contact.

“It’s still about social distancing. Testing is an important point but you have to repeat them. If one of the players becomes positive, you have to put the whole group into quarantine. Is that a solution for a normal competition?”