Turkey to resume football league next month

ISTANBUL: Turkey’s Super Lig will resume on June 12, the football federation said on Wednesday, after games were suspended in March because of the coronavirus pandemic.

"We have taken the decision to resume the (professional leagues) on June 12, 13 and 14," Turkish Football Federation chief Nihat Ozdemir said during a televised press conference in Istanbul.

He said he hoped Turkey would host the Champions League final in August, which had originally been scheduled for May 30 at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul. Ozdemir said the TFF planned for the Super Lig to finish on July 26.

The league was suspended on March 19 after the TFF came under fire for insisting games go ahead behind closed doors. The TFF head said matches starting in June would again be played without an audience but this could change depending on how the situation evolves. "Who knows, maybe we could play four out of the remaining eight weeks with an audience." But Ozdemir insisted, "our priority is the health" of the players.