Coronavirus: RFEF maintains priority is to complete LaLiga season

President Luis Rubiales says the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) is determined to save this season, even if a resumption at the start of May appears unlikely.

LaLiga, along with the rest of the major leagues in European football, has been put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, with no games played in the Spanish top tier since Real Sociedad won 2-1 at Eibar on March 10.

The country has been hit hard by the outbreak of COVID-19, suffering over 3,000 deaths and more than 47,000 cases of the virus reported.

An indefinite suspension of the 2019-20 campaign was announced on Monday amid the crisis, while both the Europa League and Champions League finals will not take place
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as originally planned at the end of May.

Rubiales on Wednesday revealed there is the possibility of extending the season beyond the scheduled finish to make sure all fixtures are played, rather than cutting short the campaign.

“The priority is to complete the season,” he said at a press conference. “We can’t just relegate teams now. Teams have to be promoted by right.

“There are hundreds of teams waiting to complete the season. When the country recovers, that will be the moment to complete the current season.

“Let’s hope I’m mistaken and that we can play at the start of May. I don’t think that’ll be possible, but I’d love to be proved wrong, we’ll have to extend the calendar.

“The objective is to save this season. That’s our idea.”

However, Rubiales also confirmed RFEF remain cautious over discussing any potential return date during such “an extreme time” for the country.

“We are working on every scenario possible, but we don’t want to play predictor. We have to be very cautious and rigorous,” Rubiales told the media.

“We are living an extreme time, with many deaths. We have never put a deadline to restart playing and we will not be doing now.

“We believe the deadline should be health, integrity and safety. Mainly when the country takes back the normal situation.”