The United Kingdom announced Monday that Premier League soccer can restart with no spectators present as early as June 1.
The return was announced in a 60-page document titled “Our Plan to Rebuild: The UK Government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy.” Premier League games have been suspended since mid-March.
Step one of the document includes a step-by-step guide for lifted restrictions on work, schools, travel, face coverings, public spaces, protection for the clinically vulnerable, enforcement, British Parliament and international travel. The second step of the plan includes social and family contact.
“The content and timing of the second stage of adjustments will depend on the most up-to-date assessment of the risk posed by the virus,” the document says.
The plan permits cultural and sporting events to take place “behind closed-doors for broadcast, while avoiding the risk of large-scale social contact.”
The German Bundesliga was the first of Europe’s five major soccer leagues to announce a return. The Bundesliga season will return Saturday with a slate of six games, and games are scheduled through June 27.
France’s Ligue 1 has canceled the remainder of its 2019-2020 season due to the pandemic. Players from Italy’s Serie A and Spain’s La Liga were allowed to train last week.
