La Liga announces fixtures as Spanish season re-start looms large

FC Barcelona will recommence their bid to defend the Spanish title on June 13 away to Real Mallorca, after a three-month pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Organisers La Liga, while announcing this on Sunday, also said Real Madrid will host Eibar on June 14.

The season will however kick back into action with a local derby between Sevilla and Real Betis on June 11.

There will be fixtures for the following seven days, after June 14, with Barca hosting Leganes on June 16 and Real Madrid playing at home to Valencia on June 18.

As in the Bundesliga, all La Liga matches until the end of the season will take place without spectators.

The German competition had earlier in May become the first major European league to start up again after being disrupted by the pandemic.

Barca were leading Real Madrid by two points after 27 matches when the campaign was postponed back in March due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Organisers have only released scheduling details for the first two rounds of fixtures.

But La Liga chief Javier Tebas confirmed that there will be matches every day of the week until the season is completed on July 19.

Tebas also gave details of a planned tribute to those who have died from the pandemic, whereby fans will be encouraged to make audio recordings of themselves applauding the victims.

It will then be transmitted in the stadium and broadcast on television in the 20th minute of each match.

“Fans make football so special and, as they cannot be in the stadiums, we have created this initiative so they can play a part in the return of the competition and show their support for the heroes of COVID-19,” Tebas said.

“We want them to feel close to their clubs even though they will be in the stadiums making noise. This way, the players will also be able to hear the support of their fans.”

The Spanish top flight is poised to be the second of Europe’s top five leagues to resume after the Bundesliga.

England’s Premier League is re-starting on June 17 and Italy’s Serie A is kicking off again on June 20.