Swiss sport to return from 8 June

Professional sports in Switzerland will be permitted to resume behind closed doors from 8 June, providing additional betting market options to operators struggling since the shutdown of almost all global sports in mid-March.

The Swiss Super League, the country’s top football league, was suspended on 2 March because of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak, initially until 23 March, before the suspension was extended indefinitely.

Sports leagues across the world soon followed, leaving very few markets remaining for sports betting.

However, the Federal Council announced today that it will allow training to resume on 11 May as the country eases its lockdown measures, before the return of profesional matches without fans in attendance from 8 June.

Although shops, restaurants, markets, museums and libraries will be allowed to reopen from May, the Council’s measures do not mention casinos, which look set to stay closed.

“The easing of measures is conditional on the businesses and institutions concerned taking suitable precautionary measures,” the Council said.

While Switzerland is preparing to resume sporting activity, France's Prime Minister Édouard Philippe announced earlier today (29 April) that no sporting action would be permitted until September 2020, resulting in the 2019-20 Ligue 1 season being brought to a premature end. The Netherlands' football league, meanwhile, has declared the season void, meaninig it ends with no winner, promotion or relegation. 

Belgium was the first country to end the 2019-20 season, declaring Club Burgge as champions. However, this decision could be overturned after clubs postponed a vote to ratify the cancellation, with the vote now set to take place on 4 May.