DOHA: The Belgian Pro League said that it had postponed for the third time a meeting which will decide whether to end the season due to coronavirus pandemic.
“The Pro League Board of Directors has today decided to postpone the General Assembly from May 4 to May 15,” the league said in a statement on Sunday.
The Pro League recommended on April 2 that the season be declared over, but this needs to be approved at a general meeting.
One was scheduled for April 15 but postponed first until April 24 and then to Monday before Sunday’s decision to push back the meeting another 11 days.
The league said that clubs — who are mostly in favour of ending the season — are awaiting advice from Belgium’s National Security Council before making a final decision.
However a restart looks unlikely as the Belgian government has banned all mass gatherings until August 31, and the Belgian football federation says that even a match behind closed doors would mobilise at least 400 people.
On the current lockdown in sports including football, Belgian national team coach Roberto Martinez said the 2019-20 season must be concluded.
“I think the only solution is to finish the campaign,” Martinez told BBC.
“You need to make sure that everyone is aware there is a big risk of sending big institutions, institutions of football that have been alive for over 100 years, into a very difficult financial position. That’s the reality.
“I think UEFA and Fifa have taken the right approach in prioritising domestic football,” he added.
