Are you counting down the days, La Liga fans?
It would appear the Spanish top-flight can resume behind closed doors from June 8. Certainly, that is what the country’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has indicated.
The league’s president, Javier Tebas, had earlier said he hoped for a restart on June 12.
So while the league itself is yet to confirm a return date, there is renewed hope here at SBOBET that it is coming soon.
The sight of La Liga players last week, training in groups of up to 10, was a welcome sight.
As was the news Atletico Madrid are re-opening their club shops today and also plan to resume tours of the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano from June 5.
Reports in Spain suggest the derby between Sevilla and Real Betis will be the first game to take place. The La Liga 2020 odds will surely favour Sevilla, but with derbies, anything can happen.
What’s more, the Spanish second division is also set to resume at the same time.
Yes, matches will be behind closed doors with restricted celebrations, just like they have been in Germany since their restart last weekend.
Yes, not as many games will be free on television as had been mooted.
But it does seem they are going to happen.
Incidentally, the agreement for more matches to be broadcast on free-to-air television has been temporarily put on hold after it was felt that would be harsh on operators who have already paid considerable sums for their broadcast rights.
It would also potentially harm an income that football is incredibly dependant on because of the coronavirus.
Talking of which, if ever you needed an indication of the damage then the comments from Mediapro CEO Jaume Roures were telling. He has expressed concern over the financial position at Spanish champions Barcelona.
Players at the Catalan club have had to take pay cuts of up to 70 per cent in order to safeguard its financial future. How much he knows about the club’s actual position is unclear, but if accurate, it’s a startling scenario.
Aside from the financial worries and the TV debate, it has already been painstaking and thorough to reach this stage – it has had to be.
Indeed, the country’s top division created a detailed protocol for the return to training so proper health safeguards are observed with players undergoing coronavirus tests before recently resuming individual training.
“Caution” remains the watchword.
Tebas has also warned footballers to “be careful with their actions” after four Sevilla players apologised for breaking rules on social gathering.
Ever Banega, Lucas Ocampos, Franco Vazquez and Luuk de Jong were pictured at a party at the weekend.
Spain has eased its strict lockdown rules, but gatherings of more than 10 people are still not allowed.
When all the talk returns to players and competitive action, I would like to leave the final word to someone who won’t feature when football restarts.
Athletic Bilbao will begin life without Aritz Aduriz when they take on Atletico Madrid at San Mames. The 39-year-old made massive La Liga 2020 news a few days ago by announcing his retirement.
Aduriz, who is the oldest player ever to score for Spain, was set to play in an all-Basque Copa del Rey final against Real Sociedad in April too.
An example to all, he scored 141 goals in 296 appearances for Bilbao, while he also played for Valencia and Mallorca.
He also won 13 caps for Spain, becoming the country’s oldest goalscorer in 2016, aged 35 years and 275 days.
His club organised a unique farewell on the pitch at the Estadio San Mames on Friday.
Aduriz was accompanied by his wife and two daughters as he made his way onto the pitch, and was caught by surprise when he received a guard of honour from his friends and teammates
A celebration of his career would likely have seen the stands packed with supporters were it not for health protocols during the pandemic, making such an occasion impossible.
The frontman’s retirement means that Real Betis captain Joaquin has become the oldest player in La Liga.
The 38-year-old Joaquin, who turns 39 in July, replaces the Athletic Club striker who was born five months before him in 1981.
Espanyol’s Diego Lopez is now the second-oldest player in the division and was born in November 1981.
Joaquin is just one league goal away from his best tally in a single season of nine which he achieved during the 2002/03 campaign.
On top of that, if he scores again this season, he would become one of the five oldest scorers in Spanish top-flight history alongside Donato, Cesar Rodriguez, Alfredo Di Stefano and Larbi Ben Barek.
Some stellar names there and one potential stat to watch out for when we resume.
We are certainly getting closer.
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