Thread by @DaleJohnsonESPN

Here's a thread here on the huge challenges European football faces in being able to resume and complete this season.

An explanation of the issues, why UEFA will take a lead in much of it, and why playing beyond June 30 is problematic.

Let's first say that Euro 2020 simply isn't going to happen this summer. That's a given through all of this, but removing Euro 2020 from the calendar is not a magic wand to fix all the domestic leagues.

The 55 member nations will meet with UEFA executives on Tuesday to try and find the best route out of this.

Without even considering what might happen to the UEL and the UCL, the major issue is completing the domestic leagues and when 2020-21 can begin.

UEFA, in collaboration with the 55 member nations, will want to put a framework in place for how and when this season can be finished, and when the next one can begin.

One of the major, unspoken issues is the coronavirus is at different stages in different countries.

This means that, for instance, Italy may be in a position (just an illustration) to resume football behind closed doors at the end of April, yet England may be in the peak in June.

It may well that many leagues complete behind closed doors, but some cannot meet the deadline.

UEFA will aim to keep standard season bookend dates, for consistency through European football and access to the Champions League and Europa League.

That means you are highly unlikely to find the Prem finishing its season in August while other leagues start their new season.

So this is where it gets messy if, say, Italy and Spain are able to complete before June 30 behind closed doors and other leagues like the Premier League are not.

UEFA will want cut-off dates so football can continue, rather than leagues having to wait for each other.

What we could find is that UEFA's 55 member nations show solidarity in awarding titles, European places and promotion relegation in a standard format across leagues (so all teams in position no.1 declared champions).

This is not certain, but it is an option to limit litigation.

Onto the issues over how football can restart in England. Let's begin by saying there is zero chance of a ball being kicked on April 3, it's simply impossible as the country prepares to have movement limited further.

So that brings the question of when is realistic?

Club bosses probably hope football can return, almost certainly behind closed doors, in May. This is a precarious situation which is probably doomed to failure.

The peak of infections is expected from May. To think clubs and squads are not going to get infections is fanciful.

This means that even if football does return, divisions could soon be forced to stop when squads are forced into self-isolation.

If squads go into a 14-day self-isolation, it's reported players would need another 14 days after that to be match-fit. That's a month wiped out.

If football cannot return in May, or returns unsuccessfully, will there even be the time to complete the season?

If we get to June, players would not have played for 2.5 months - they don't go this long without a game between seasons. Players would be way short of match fitness.

By June, players would pretty much need "pre-season friendlies" before they are in a condition to play competitive games, certainly if you are asking them to play three games a week to rush the season to a close.

Pushing the season into July and/or August also has many wide-raging issues for football at every level, across Europe.

There is a serious danger that people just look at this as a Premier League issue, rather than for the whole of football.

While there are 69 Premier League players out of contract on June 30, there are many more at EFL clubs.

As of July 1, many EFL clubs will be unable to name an 18-man matchday squad. Even if contracts could temporarily be extended, many EFL clubs would not have the funds.

Many say that EFL clubs cannot afford to lose the remaining 4-5 home games, and while that's true the financial impact of not starting 2020-21 on time could be even more serious.

If you do not start 2020-21 until, say, October (you would need an operational break between seasons) then you are asking EFL clubs to survive for 7 months on the income of 4-5 home games - and that's if those games can be played with fans. Otherwise there is no income at all.

Clubs are used to a considerable cash injection each summer from season ticket sales, shirt sales etc.

Without this, and the need to extended [unaffordable] player contracts to play games with no funding, it seems impossible many clubs could get to October.

Starting the season as late as October also has knock-on effects, because you cannot end the 2020-21 season late with Euro 2021 likely to be moved to June.

Also, the EFL cannot start until Premier League finishes (promotion/relegation) so it's not like it could go its own way.

Bottom line is we all want this season to be played to a close, but realistically the cut-off date is likely to be June 30.

It's now just a waiting game.