No promises La Liga can resume before summer, says Spanish health minister

La Liga teams have been given the go-ahead to return to training, possibly as soon as early May, providing they abide by Spanish government protocols.

There have been no Spanish top-flight games since early March.

Health minister Salvador Illa has refused to offer any guarantee the Spanish football season will resume before Spain's summer arrives.

Appearing at a government coronavirus briefing on Sunday, Illa spoke about the prospect of La Liga returning.

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There have been no Spanish top-flight games since early March, and although there are hopes matches could start from June, Illa was careful not to present any timeframe.

He said: "I cannot say if football is going to be able to restart its activity before summer. It would be imprudent of me to offer a definitive view."

La Liga teams have been given the go-ahead to return to training, possibly as soon as early May, providing they abide by Spanish government protocols.

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That decision was reached in a meeting last weekend between Spain's National Sports Council (CSD), the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and La Liga.

However, staging games is clearly some way off, and it seems certain any resumption would mean fixtures being played initially behind closed doors.

Reports have suggested clubs and league officials could be targeting a return to action on June 6 or June 13; however, Illa's circumspection indicates Spain's reluctance to rush into any such decision.

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Barcelona heads the league table after 27 rounds of the 38-game season, two points clear of nearest rival Real Madrid.

Spain has been severely hit by the pandemic, with the country suffering over 23,000 deaths.