Professional Soccer K League Also Opens Without Spectators on May 8

Image source=Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] The professional soccer K League, whose opening was delayed due to the impact of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), will start the new season without spectators on May 8.

The Korea Professional Football League held its 3rd board meeting of 2020 on the 24th at the Football Hall in Sinmunno, Seoul, and resolved the match schedule and tournament format for this year's 'Hana One Q K League 2020'.

The opening round matches for this season are scheduled for May 8, 9, and 10. The competition format consists of a total of 27 rounds. K League 1 will have 12 teams play a regular round of 2 round-robin matches (a total of 22 games), after which the top 6 teams (Final A) and the bottom 6 teams (Final B) will each play a final round of 5 matches. K League 2 will have 10 teams play a regular round of 3 round-robin matches (a total of 27 games). The official opening match of K League 1 will be held on May 8 at Jeonju World Cup Stadium between Jeonbuk Hyundai and Suwon Samsung.

Following the government's 'social distancing' policy, all matches will be held without spectators for the time being after the opening. The Professional Football League stated, "The transition to allowing spectators will be promptly decided and implemented once the government eases quarantine guidelines and social consensus is reached."

If a player or coaching staff member is infected with COVID-19 during the season, the infected person's team will not play any matches for at least two weeks, and the team's matches will be postponed. Additionally, matches involving teams that played against the infected person's team around the time symptoms appeared, as confirmed by epidemiological investigations, will also be postponed for at least two weeks.

Image source=Yonhap News

If a player, coaching staff, referee, or other essential match participant tests positive for COVID-19 on the day of the match, the match will be immediately stopped. The league office will then adjust the schedule at its discretion. If suspected symptoms such as fever occur, the suspected individual will be excluded from the roster and the match will proceed.

The league stated that if a situation arises where many infections occur and normal league progress becomes difficult, the league will be suspended, and if resumption is impossible, the league will be terminated. If the league ends after 22 rounds in K League 1 and 18 rounds in K League 2, it will be considered a valid league, and the champion, rankings, awards, and AFC Champions League qualification will all be recognized. If the number of matches played by each team differs at the time of league termination, rankings will be based on the standings at the end of the last round where all teams had played the same number of matches.

If the league ends without completing 22 rounds in K League 1 or 18 rounds in K League 2, it will be considered invalid, and no champion or rankings will be determined. AFC Champions League qualification criteria will be established separately later. Even if the league is invalid, all team and individual match records will be recognized. If only K League 1 is valid and K League 2 is invalid, there will be relegation but no promotion.

Meanwhile, professional baseball has also decided to start its new season without spectators on May 5.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.