Gianni Infantino the president of FIFA has said that the association will consider health matters first before resuming football competitions.
His remarks come as domestic and international football competitions are either suspended or cancelled due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
Some footballers and club managers have also contracted the virus and it is feared that the virus can rapidly spread if football is resumed as it would be impossible to exercise social distancing. Infantino said:
Our first priority, our principle, the one we will use for our competitions and encourage everyone to follow is that health comes first. I cannot stress this enough. No match, no competition, no league is worth risking a single human life. Everyone in the world should have this very clear in their mind. It would be more than irresponsible to force competitions to resume if things are not 100% safe. If we have to wait a little longer we must do so. It’s better to wait a little bit longer than to take any risks.
Meanwhile, clubs are feeling the heat as they need the matches so as to be able to pay their players and workers. Some clubs have started cutting players’ salaries to remain afloat.
More: BBC/FIFA