Uefa president warns season 'will be lost' if coronavirus shutdown does not end by late-June

Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin has warned that the current football season will be “lost” if football cannot resumed by the end of June.

Almost all European leagues are currently suspended because of the coronavirus outbreak, which has also halted the Champions League and Europa League.

Uefa have postponed the summer’s European Championships until 2021 in order to give the domestic competitions the best possible chance of fulfilling their outstanding fixtures, but it may not be enough.

"If we don't succeed in restarting, the season will probably be lost," Ceferin told La Repubblica. "There is a plan A, B and C.

"The three options are to start again in mid-May, in June or at the end of June.

"There is also the possibility of starting again at the beginning of the next [season], starting the following one later. We will see the best solution for leagues and clubs."

It seems increasingly likely that if football can restart it will – at least initially – be behind closed doors, an possibility Ceferin accepts.

"It's difficult to imagine all the games behind closed doors,” he said. “But right now we don't even know if we will resume, with or without fans.

"If there are no other alternatives, it would still be better to conclude the leagues. I can say that I'm not thinking about staging the European cup finals behind closed doors.”