27 April 2020 – Spanish Health Minister Salvador Illa warned on Sunday (26 April 2020) that football’s comeback may have to to wait even longer to return, as the country deals with the coronavirus health crisis.

La Liga, the Spanish FA (RFEF) and Spanish Sports Council (CSD) are working on a plan for football – which has been indefinitely suspended – to restart when given the go-ahead from the government.

Under a protocol devised by La Liga, every player will need to be tested for coronavirus, which could be problematic because the country doesn’t have an abundance of tests.

“I cannot say now if professional football will be able to restart before the summer, it would be imprudent on my part,” Illa told a news conference.

“There is an order from the Health Ministry which is in place for all types of groups, including professional football. They have to put whatever type of diagnostic tests they have at the disposal of the regional governments.”

More than 22,900 people have died in Spain because of coronavirus, with more than 220,000 people infected, although the daily figures of new infections have dropped from their peaks.

The Spanish government is planning to ease its lockdown restrictions from May 2, allowing citizens to exercise outside alone for an hour a day, provided the coronavirus toll continues to fall.

(Source: IOL)