Australia’s top football league aims for July restart

Australia’s top football league is aiming to complete its 2019-20 season in July and August, according to Adelaide United director of football Bruce Djite.

The A-League was suspended in March due to Covid-19. It has five rounds of the regular season left to play, followed by playoffs.

Reuters reported that Djite said the league could play three matches per week to finish in a four- or five-week period, although he added, “There’s a lot of water to go under the bridge before that… There’s still a lot of unknowns.”

The league is also reported to be considering gathering teams in one location in Sydney, and playing the remaining matches there behind closed doors.

Djite said that, before any training or matches resumed, league organiser Football Federation Australia needed to work out a pay deal with the players’ union. Most A-League players have been laid off and are on the government’s JobKeeper wage subsidy programme.