Neymar Jr and Kylian Mbappe of Paris Saint-Germain celebrate victory 2-0 over Borussia Dortmund during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg match between Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund at Parc des Princes on March 11, 2020 in Paris, France. The match is played behind closed doors as a precaution against the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus).
Paris Saint-Germain are set to be awarded the Ligue 1 title, according to reports in France, in a move that could pave the way for Liverpool to lift their first ever Premier League title - even if they do not play their last nine games.
The Premier League and Ligue 1 were both suspended on 13 March due to the coronavirus outbreak. French clubs had hoped to return to training in May when president Emmanuel Macron is aiming to reopen schools, with the league restarting in June.
However, an announcement on Wednesday from prime minister Edouard Philippe banning all sport, including behind-closed-doors affairs, until September at least scuppered those plans and left the LFP forced to cancel the rest of the season.
They have now taken the decision to award PSG the Ligue 1 title despite there still being more than 100 games remaining in the season, according to L'Equipe. The French giants are currently 12 points clear of nearest rivals Marseille with 11 games to play. They also have a game in hand.
The decision to end the season on the current rankings would also have an impact further down the table, with Marseilles and Rennes qualifying for the Champions League. With no domestic cup finals, Reims and Nice would join fourth-placed Lille in the Europa League.
However, Lyon's last game before lockdown - a 1-0 defeat to Lille - looks like it will cost them European football next season as they sit seventh in the table; club president Jean-Michel had campaigned for play-offs over the summer to decide the final standings.
In England, three Premier League clubs have this week returned to training with strict social distancing measures in place. The competition hopes to have all 20 back at their training grounds in some capacity next month with a proposed restart behind closed doors in early June. They are also planning to have twice-weekly Covid-19 testing for all players and staff in place in order to prevent spread of coronavirus through those taking part.
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