RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT VIDEO SHOWS: INTERVIEW WITH LA LIGA PRESIDENT JAVIER TEBAS ON RETURN OF TOP FLIGHT FOOTBALL IN SPAIN / B-ROLL OF PLAYERS TRAINING / STILL PHOTOGRAPHS OF FOUR SEVILLA
RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT VIDEO SHOWS: INTERVIEW WITH LA LIGA PRESIDENT JAVIER TEBAS ON RETURN OF TOP FLIGHT FOOTBALL IN SPAIN / B-ROLL OF PLAYERS TRAINING / STILL PHOTOGRAPHS OF FOUR SEVILLA PLAYERS WHO HELD A PARTY DURING LOCKDOWN SHOWS: BARCELONA, SPAIN (RECENT) (LA LIGA HANDOUT - ACCESS ALL) 1.
VARIOUS OF BARCELONA PLAYERS TRAINING UNKNOWN LOCATION, SPAIN (MAY 24, 2020) (MOVISTAR - MUST ON SCREEN COURTESTY 'EL PARTIDAZO DE MOVISTAR') 2.
SOUNDBITE (Spanish) LA LIGA PRESIDENT JAVIER TEBAS SAYING: "We need to see what happens with the phases and to confirm whether what the president said can work in practice.
That would really help us in the sense that we'd be able to put in place the phase in which teams can train together, all while maintaining the same strict health protocol we've enacted.
We're not going to rush things, we'll go step by step.
We have to be cautious, as we've been until now.
Secondly, we're already working with our broadcasters on a strategy for the weeks leading up to the restart.
As a result, depending on how the training phases work out, there's the possibility that we could play the first LaLiga game on Thursday June 11th.
We'd love to play just one game that day, and so the teams that are chosen will play exclusively as a kind of tribute to the restart and everything that's happened.
But that will depend on how training develops.
If not the 11th, then the 12th, 13th or even 14th.
But hopefully it will be Thursday June 11th." SEVILLE, SPAIN (MAY 14, 2020) (LA LIGA HANDOUT - ACCESS ALL) 3.
TWO SEVILLA PLAYERS DRIBBLING WITH BALLS 4.
COACH JULEN LOPETEGUI WITH FACE MASK UNKNOWN LOCATION, SPAIN (MAY 24, 2020) (MOVISTAR - MUST ON SCREEN COURTESTY 'EL PARTIDAZO DE MOVISTAR') 5.
SOUNDBITE (Spanish) LA LIGA PRESIDENT JAVIER TEBAS SAYING: "It will all depend on the training sessions and the phases, but we would like the first match to be the Seville derby: Sevilla FC vs Real Betis." SEVILLE, SPAIN (MAY 20, 2020) (LA LIGA HANDOUT - ACCESS ALL) 6.
VARIOUS OF REAL BETIS TRAINING UNKNOWN LOCATION, SPAIN (MAY 24, 2020) (MOVISTAR - MUST ON SCREEN COURTESTY 'EL PARTIDAZO DE MOVISTAR') 7.
SOUNDBITE (Spanish) LA LIGA PRESIDENT JAVIER TEBAS SAYING: "LaLiga has always taken measures; whether they've been made public is another issue.
The players regret their actions and have apologized.
We're an example for the rest of society and need to be very careful with what we post.
I thank for the players for apologizing.
And I say this to all players: we cannot behave in this way.
It's social risk and a risk to our industry.
We're putting at risk 187,000 jobs, and 1.37% of Spain's GDP.
I ask everyone - players, coaches, staff and directors - that we act with responsibility.
During training sessions and the upcoming matches it will be practically impossible to come into risky contact.
In our private environments, that's where we need to be very careful.
I call on everyone to keep focused, because it's so important.
The Spanish President's announcement the other day was a great moment and another will be the moment when we can award the LaLiga trophy, when we decide who qualifies for Europe, and the promotions from LaLiga SmartBank." SEVILLE, SPAIN (FEBRUARY 27, 2020) (REUTERS PICTURES - ACCESS ALL) (MUTE) 8.
STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF LUCAS OCAMPOS 9.
STILL PHOTOGRAPGH OF LUUK DE JONG SEVILLE, SPAIN MARCH 7 2019 (REUTERS PICTURES - ACCESS ALL) (MUTE) 10.
STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF EVER BANEGA SEVILLE, SPAIN (OCTOBER 7, 2019) (REUTERS PICTURES - ACCESS ALL) (MUTE) 11.
STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF FRANCO VAZQUEZ STORY: La Liga president Javier Tebas has said he hopes a derby between Real Betis and Sevilla will kick the Spanish top-flight season back into action on June 11 after being paused for three months during the coronavirus pandemic.
"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 (from the virus)," Tebas told Spanish television network Movistar on Sunday.
Spain is set to join Germany and Portugal in resuming matches without spectators after Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Saturday that the league would be allowed to start up again from June along with other sectors of the economy.
All organised soccer in Spain was suspended indefinitely on March 12.
Spain is among the countries hardest hit by the novel coronavirus, with 235,290 infections and 28,752 people dying.
All non-professional leagues have been cancelled although clubs in the top two divisions have resumed training in groups of up to 10 players.
Tebas said the next objective was to progress to full training.
Champions Barcelona lead La Liga by two points over nearest challengers Real Madrid with 11 matches remaining.
Tebas also said footballers must remember to act responsibly to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus after four Sevilla players broke the Spanish government's rules on social gatherings.
Argentine trio Ever Banega, Lucas Ocampos and Franco Vazquez as well as Dutch striker Luuk de Jong were pictured at a party alongside eight other people over the weekend.
(Production: Iain Axon)
a Liga president Javier Tebas confirms clubs in the top two divisions will begin training in groups of up to 10 players from Monday..
