English Premier League plans to restart season on June 17

MANCHESTER, England — The Premier League plans to restart on June 17 after a 100-day shutdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic, with new staggered kickoff times to make sure every game can be shown on TV as fans are prevented from attending games.

The clubs agreed Thursday that the competition should resume with a Wednesday night doubleheader featuring Manchester City playing Arsenal and Aston Villa hosting Sheffield United — two games that were postponed during earlier rounds.

However, the league still needs formal approval from the government.

“This date cannot be confirmed until we have met all the safety requirements needed,” Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said, “as the health and welfare of all participants and supporters is our priority.”

After those makeup games are played, the 30th round will start at 8 p.m. (1900 GMT) on Friday, June 19  — if authorities approve safety plans.

“Positive to see further steps on the return of football today,” Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden tweeted. “We are still working on govt guidance before we green light sports’ return.”

It’s still unclear where games will be played when the league resumes. Police have said only neutral venues should be used as there are                               concerns fans would congregate outside, but that plan was opposed by the 20 clubs.

The Premier League agreed to a government request for all remaining 92 fixtures to be aired live in Britain. Only 200 of the 380 games each season are normally broadcast live domestically while all are available to view internationally.

For the first time since the Premier League launched in 1992, games will be shown live by free-to-air broadcaster BBC, which has four of the remaining games.

“At a time when sports fans across the country are in need of lift, this is very welcome news,” BBC director of sport Barbara Slater said.

Saturdays will see an additional late game start at 8 p.m. after fixtures at 12:30 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. There will be a new early and late slot on Sundays of 12 p.m. and 7 p.m. between the usual 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. kickoffs. The Friday and Monday night games will be at the usual 8 p.m.

Midweek rounds will now see an earlier set of games at 6 p.m. followed by 8 p.m. kickoffs.

Football has already resumed in Germany, with three rounds of the Bundesliga played in empty stadiums. The Spanish league has government approval to restart after June 8.

But lockdown measures have only just been eased to allow full practice sessions to resume at Premier League clubs.

Liverpool is on the verge of winning the Premier League, sitting 25 points in front with nine games remaining.

Serie A to resume June 20.

Italy’s Serie A is set to resume on June 20.

Sports Minister Vincenzo Spadafora gave the league the all-clear to resume on Thursday, although it will have to wait a week longer than it had initially hoped.

Spadafora held a meeting with Italian soccer authorities by video conference after a medical protocol for matches was approved earlier on Thursday.

“The meeting was very useful,” Spadafora said. “Now Italy is starting again and it is right that soccer starts again too.

“If the curve changes and the league has to be stopped again, the Italian soccer federation has assured me that there exists a plan B — playoffs — and also a plan C — leaving the standings as they are.”

Serie A has been suspended since March 9, when the government ordered a nationwide lockdown because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The league’s 20 teams agreed earlier this month to resume competition on June 13 in empty stadiums. But, following a government decree days later banning sports until June 14, the Italian soccer federation swiftly announced that it would comply. However, it had hoped for special dispensation.

“The league will restart June 20,” Spadafora said. “There’s then the possibility that the Italian Cup semifinals and final can be played on June 13 and 17.”

The first legs of the semifinals had already been played before the lockdown, with AC Milan drawing 1-1 against Juventus and Napoli winning 1-0 at Inter Milan.

The rights for the cup matches are owned by Italy’s RAI state television.

“It would be a good signal because you could watch three important matches free-to-air on public channels,” Spadafora added.

The medical protocol is similar to that for team training, meaning that if one person within the group — player or staff — tests positive for COVID-19 the entire group must go into a retreat for 14 days.

There are 12 rounds remaining in Serie A, plus four matches that were postponed from the 25th round.

Juventus, which is bidding for a record-extending ninth successive Serie A title, has a one-point advantage over Lazio. Third-place Inter Milan is nine points behind Juventus but has played a match less.

Serie B, Italy’s second division, also plans to resume June 20.