Premier League and Champions League among Suspended Soccer Competitions due to Coronavirus

Ilkay Gundogan with Manchester City in 2018
Ilkay Gundogan with Manchester City in 2018. Photo by Ryan Browne/BPI/REX/Shutterstock (9569618cp)

The list of sports competitions canceled due to coronavirus is getting bigger by day. Following several days of playing without an audience, the majority of soccer leagues around Europe now decided to suspend them for an extended period of time. 

The wave of suspension first hit the United States, with NBA, NHL, and MLS getting suspended on Wednesday. On Thursday, the trend was carried over to Europe, with English Premier League, Spanish La Liga, Seria A, and French League 1 being on the list of the leagues that halted their activities. European competitions like UEFA Champions League and Europa League also won’t be played in the foreseeable future.

There is no clear indication when the activities of the leagues might resume, but it is expected that things will go back in normal once coronavirus pandemic gets under control. English Premier League, where Arsenal’s boss Mikel Arteta and Chelsea’s winger Callum Hudson-Odoi tested positive on coronavirus, announced that the suspension would last at least until April 3rd.

German Bundesliga, on the other hand, intended to continue with competitive matches at first. The league announced on Thursday that the matches would be played as scheduled, but without the audience. However, the decision was changed the next day, and this competition was also suspended.