This archive report was first published on 24 May 2020.
On May 23, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced that La Liga can resume from its coronavirus lockdown in the week of June 8. This decision comes after closely observing the Bundesliga's return to action last weekend.
La Liga has not yet specified when it will kick off or detailed the health protocols it will adopt, but is expected to do so within the next week, according to the Spanish press. The Liga president, Javier Tebas, has been pushing for the league to resume on June 12, with the Seville derby between Real Betis and Sevilla as the curtain-raiser.
However, the Spanish Football Players' Association (AFE) has called for cooling breaks during games when temperatures are between 28 and 32 degrees Celsius (82 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit), and for training and matches to be postponed when temperatures rise above 32 degrees, which is common in the height of summer in much of Spain.
La Liga has eagerly announced there would be 'football every day' of the week, but the AFE has demanded that clubs be allowed a compulsory gap of at least 72 hours between matches. The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) had already started a legal action to prevent that.
La Liga president Javier Tebas estimated that if the league did not resume broadcasting, the losses would amount to a billion euros ($1.09 billion), compared with 300 million euros if it played without spectators.
Between now and the restart, the players will have almost three weeks to prepare. The AFE demanded the players were given at least 15 to 20 days to get match fit.
La Liga's return to action amid the COVID-19 pandemic poses several challenges, including summer heat, empty stadiums, and health rules.
