ISTANBUL, (Reuters) – Turkey plans to resume its soccer Super League matches in mid-June and the games may be played without spectators, state media quoted the head of the clubs’ association as saying yesterday.
Turkish soccer, basketball and volleyball leagues, which were among the last to continue playing matches, were suspended on March 17 due to the COVID-19 pandemic after Ankara came under international and domestic pressure to postpone them.
Turkey has confirmed more than 100,000 cases of the new coronavirus, with a death toll of 2,600.
“We have a provisional decision to launch the Super League matches in the week of June 12-14,” state broadcaster TRT Haber quoted the Turkish clubs’ association chairman Mehmet Sepil as saying.
“The base scenario is that Super League and Turkey Cup matches be completed by July 26,” he was cited as saying, adding that matches may be staged without spectators.
Separately, broadcaster CNN Turk on its website reported Sepil as saying it was planned that matches would begin in June without spectators.
It said that Sports Minister Mehmet Kasapoglu, the Turkish Football Federation chairman and the chairmen of Turkish Super League clubs had held a video conference call yesterday.
