Coronavirus: Football will be quite different until vaccine - FIFA

The Allianz Arena. Home ground of German Bundesliga toppers Bayern Munich. Bayern Munich are ten points atop the table after breezing through Fortuna Düsseldorf on Saturday by 5 - 0 with Polish striker Robert Lewandowski netting a brace for the Bavarians. Photo: FCBayern

The football environment will be "quite different" until a vaccine for coronavirus is developed, Fifa has told its member federations.


It also expects that regular testing will "most likely" become part of the game in future, with physical distancing predicted to be in place long term.

A set of 'medical considerations' were developed by a special Fifa working group and sent out to member associations, as well as a risk assessment tool that will help countries determine when it is safe for football to resume.

Fifa says everyone involved in staging football matches has a "responsibility" to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

"Planning for a safe return to football must start now given the health, social and economic benefits of the game globally," the official guidance says.

"Football governing bodies must come together to cautiously and methodically prepare for a post-pandemic return to footballing activities."

Fifa's message comes as the Premier League prepares to resume on 17 June, having been shut down since 9 March, and many other major European Leagues are in the process of returning to action.

Uefa hopes to complete the 2019-20 Champions League and Europa League in August but is yet to finalise its plans.

Although Fifa appears to be encouraging planning for a return of all levels of football, it emphasised that this should not compromise the health system or health of those involved.

It said that "protecting the health and well-being of every individual globally remains of paramount importance" to the organisation.