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REUTERS: The Korean FA Cup will kick off on May 9, a day after the top tier K-League begins its 2020 season, which was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Yonhap news agency reported Tuesday.
The tournament, originally scheduled to start on March 14, will be held without the attendance of spectators during the first rounds, the agency said, citing the Korean Football Association (KFA).
The first round will feature 32 semi-professional and amateur clubs from the lower divisions. The 16 winners will face six more K3 League teams and 10 K-League 2 clubs in the second round on June 6.
The quarterfinals will be held on July 29 and the semifinals are scheduled for October 28.
The date of the two-legged final will be decided later, according to the report, adding that parties could change depending on the situation with the outbreak that has infected more than 10,000 people and killed nearly 250 people in the country.
South Korea was one of the first countries to control the virus, prompting the K-League to announce its decision to start after more than two months late.
The league said in a statement http://kleague.com/contents/news/16937 on Monday that 10 foreign broadcasters, primarily in Asia and Europe, had purchased the rights for the season.
(Report by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bangalore, Ed Osmond edition)
