[ad_1]
MLS President and Deputy Commissioner Mark Abbott said the league aims to start the 2021 season in early March.
A Sports Business Journal report previously indicated that the league was considering an April start date due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, due to the busy international calendar, which will include the CONCACAF Nations League finals, the CONCACAF Gold Cup, qualification and possible participation in the Tokyo Olympics and the start of qualification for the World Cup. World, the league is aiming for a more traditional start date for the start of the 2021 campaign.
– Stream ESPN FC daily on ESPN + (US only)
– MLS on ESPN +: Stream games and replays LIVE (US only)
– MLS Cup Playoffs: Who’s In, Who’s Out, Matches and More
The 2021 season would start without using a bubble and teams would play in local markets, although that could change. Currently, the pandemic shows no signs of abating in the United States. According to the New York Times, 163,402 new cases were reported on November 12, with a seven-day moving average of new cases of 134,078 per day.
The 2020 MLS regular season began on February 29, before it was suspended in early March due to the coronavirus.
“Based on next year’s busy international schedule, our goal is to begin our season in early March as usual,” Abbott said in a statement to ESPN. “The restrictions on our ability to have fans in our stadiums this year contributed to very significant financial losses. Like all leagues, we are concerned that those restrictions will continue for a second year and we are continually evaluating how to handle the impact of the pandemic in 2021.”
MAIN FOOTBALL NEWS
• Notebook: VAR becomes Klopp’s nemesis
• Sources: Prem in conversations about the future of football
• Liverpool’s Salah tests positive for COVID
• Palacios suffers a spinal fracture due to tackle
• Auba responds to criticism of Kroos’s mask
• Sources: Reyna signs new contract with BVB
• Bolivian FA chief arrested during WC qualifier
A source with knowledge of the situation indicated that due to the ongoing pandemic and its financial impact on the league’s results, the MLS sent a procedural notice to the MLS Players Association that would preserve the league’s right to invoke the force majeure clause that was added. to the Collective Bargaining Agreement of last June.
The source added that there is no intention to invoke the clause at this time, and the notice only allows MLS to do so at some point in the future. A force majeure clause allows either party to cancel the collective agreement in the event of a catastrophic event such as a pandemic.
MLS declined to comment on the force majeure clause. An attempt to contact MLSPA for comment was unsuccessful.
Last June, MLS Commissioner Don Garber said the league was going to suffer a revenue hit of $ 1 billion. The source added that the exact numbers have not yet been tabulated.
Since fans can only attend MLS games on a limited basis in some markets, and not at all in other markets, the league continues to lose the game day revenue that is the backbone of its business.
The source added that the league was able to recoup some revenue on the broadcast rights side, but that the league incurred additional expenses due to teams using charter flights to travel to away games, COVID-19 testing. and the MLS is Back tournament that was held in a bubble in Orlando, Florida, last July.
Source: espn.co.uk
[ad_2]
