The Scottish Premier League was ended on Monday afternoon, with Celtic crowned champions for the ninth season in a row. The decision to finally end the season has been something that has been openly spoken about for the last couple of weeks, with the final decision being made yesterday. The decision means that Scotland is the third country in Europe to end their season early, as they join France and the Netherlands.
However, despite the domestic season being ended early, it has been revealed that the SPFL remain committed to completing the current Scottish Cup campaign. The situation could get messy over the coming weeks and months as Hearts have threatened legal action after they were condemned to a second relegation in six years.
Points-Per Game Used To Determine Final SPL League Standings
Points-per game was the method that the SPL decided to end the season using, as an average was determined from what the sides could have got from their remaining fixtures. The PPG for Celtic stood at 2.67, while nearest-challengers Ranger had a 2.31 PPG. Because of this method Celtic ended the campaign with 80 points, while Rangers finished 13-points behind their local rivals.
Hearts were condemned the relegation after being awarded an PPG of 0.77. They ended the season with 23 points, which was four points behind Hamilton. The decision to end the campaign has been a contentious one, with SPFL clubs having voted to end the Championship and League One seasons last month. The SPFL will now be required to explain their decision to end the season to UEFA, before confirming the clubs that will be representing the league in the Champions League and Europa League next season.
UEFA Deadline Fast Approaching
The European governing body allowed teams up until the end of May to determine the route that they will take moving forward. However, they did reveal that they strongly urged teams to complete the current seasons even if there was a change of format required. Finances were a huge reason for the cancellation in Scotland, with £7 million now being awarded to teams for their final positions in the league standings.
Hearts have already revealed that they are considering legal action after being relegated from the SPL despite being just four points from safety when the season was suspended. The club have revealed that they will challenge the decision, with their hope of a restructured SPL division. A statement released by the club revealed that they felt they had been treated unfairly due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Across the border, clubs from the top-flight in England will return to training today as the potential start date that the Premier League could get back underway was revealed as the 12th June. All players will be tested during the training session, with results for these tests likely to be released at 2 pm on Tuesday. Training will be slightly different from what Premier League clubs are used to, as they will be forced to train in small groups to minimise the risk of infection.
