LaLiga sleeve artwork
LaLiga sleeve artwork

LaLiga return: President Javier Tebas targets Sevilla v Real Betis to restart SPanish league on June 11


LaLiga president Javier Tebas has targeted the derby match between Sevilla and Real Betis as the game to mark the return of football in Spain on June 11.

Spanish football has been suspended since March 12 as the coutnry struggled with being one of the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

However, teams are now training again and can do so in their full squads from June 1, with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez giving the go-ahead for the league to restart on June 8.

Tebas had previously targeted June 12 for the return of LaLiga, but he now says that a Seville derby the night before would be a fitting way to mark the occasion, and act as a tribute to all the victims of the pandemic.

"Our aim is to be able to announce the first four rounds of fixtures next week," Tebas said on Movistar.

"The government's announcement took us by surprise but it shows that professional football is very important to this country.

"There is a possibility that there is a game on June 11, which would be the only match that night and perhaps there will be a tribute to all the people who have died.

"I hope that date can be confirmed and we would like the game to be the Seville derby, kicking off at 10pm."

Tebas did send out a warning to players to be careful with their actions as lives start to get back to something resembling normality, after four Sevilla players broke rules on social gathering.

Gatherings of 10 people or more are still forbidden despite Spain easing their lockdown, and Tebas warned the likes of Ever Banega, Lucas Ocampos, Franco Vazquez and Luuk de Jong - who all apologised after being pictured at a party - to watch themselves.

"Players are an example to society and should be careful with their actions," Tebas said. "I call on all footballers to not act like this. We have to be very careful because a lot of people's jobs are at stake."

Once action resumes, defending champions Barcelona will look to maintain their two-point advantage over Real Madrid with 11 matches left to play.

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