The Russian Football Union and Russian Premier Liga have consistently supported the resumption of the season, holding all matches and observing the sporting principle of allocating positions.

As for postponements due to current circumstances, changing match dates is possible with the mutual and voluntary consent of the clubs. Teams are preparing for games based on the fixture list that was agreed before the restart of the season. Changes in dates create additional problems for them when it comes to solving sporting tasks: it is necessary to adjust training schedules and logistics, while they find themselves in a distinctly more difficult position compared to their nearest rivals. Not every club is ready for this situation.

FC Krasnodar were due to host Dynamo Moscow and gave their consent for the postponement of the match to 19 July. The RPL supported this decision and submitted it to the RFU Executive Committee, which in turn considered it possible to make changes to the schedule.

At the same time, in accordance with paragraph 6.3 of the RPL regulations, the league can decide to postpone the match in the event of force majeure based on the request of the interested club. The current situation with the coronavirus outbreak affecting the championship restart, taking into account the restrictions caused by the need to prevent the spread of COVID-19, cannot be considered force majeure.

In accordance with article 401 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, force majeure is an extraordinary and unavoidable circumstance under these conditions. Thus, when classifying the COVID-19 outbreak as an emergency and given the conditions of the championship resumption during the coronavirus infection pandemic, the RPL takes into account all the actual circumstances, including the readiness and preventative measures of clubs to tackle the COVID-19 infection.

Given the above, the RPL could not apply paragraph 6.3 of the rules and force the match to be postponed. In addition, the 2019/20 calendar does not contain reserve dates for rescheduling matches.

On the other hand, with the consent of both participating clubs and at the RPL's request, the RFU - which has exclusive power to approve fixtures - has the right to set a different date for the match as the competition’s organiser, which is not a postponement of the match in the sense of clause 6.3 of the regulations.

There is no question of stopping the season. We believe that the RFU, the RPL and the clubs can ensure that training sessions and matches are held safely and that they can finish all remaining matches this season.

The RFU and RPL hope that the clubs will take a responsible approach to implementing the renewed regulations. Clubs conduct training in different ways, but the main thing for them should be the safety of players. Strict adherence to our requirements and recommendations will allow them to reduce the risks to a minimum and finish the championship.