No swift return for Scottish football as SFA confirm all leagues will remain suspended due to COVID-19 crisis until at least the end of April

THE Scottish FA have confirmed that all domestic and professional football in this country will remain suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic until April 30 at the earliest.

However, expectations are that the sport's shutdown will extend many weeks beyond that projected date.

A statement from the Scottish football governing body was made yesterday, in relation to the efforts being made to offer some clarity to clubs and supporters amidst the uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 situation.

An SFA spokersperson said: "Clubs needed to be able to make informed decisions regarding training and work schedules, as well as operating their stadia in these unprecedented times.

"The Scottish FA reiterates that all football in Scotland, both domestic and professional, remains suspended indefinitely.

"For the benefit of planning, the Scottish FA confirms that football in Scotland will not resume before 30 April.

"The medical advice is that we will not have reached the peak of the coronavirus epidemic in this country by then and the escalating measures which restrict the ability to play football matches will likely remain in force.

"The progress of COVID-19 remains uncertain for the whole country, but we are maintaining daily dialogue informed by the latest government and UK Medical Officers advice, to provide reassurance that the health and welfare of players, staff and supporters are our priority, along with the survival of clubs."

While it remains uncertain when the Scottish football will be able to resume or if it will conclude, the SFA said it intends to begin the 2020-21 campaign "as soon as is practicably possible later this year."

The governing body also supported UEFA's postponement of the European Championships tournament until next summer, an event Scotland still hopes to qualify before.

But the SFA admitted that plans to still play Scotland's UEFA Nations League play-off match at home to Israel in June were "ambitious".

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