UEFA have denied claims that the World Health Organisation urged all football to be suspended until the end of next season.

Reports in Italy suggested WHO provided advice to football's governing body during a conference call to prevent coronavirus from spreading. It had been claimed that the organisation were concerned about the potential for a second wave of the disease further down the line.

However in correspondence with Herald and Times Sport, Uefa insisted in no uncertain terms that they had not been advised to keep football in cold storage until the end of season 2021.

A spokesperson for World Health also insisted that, while they do provide science-based public health guidance, it is "not the role of WHO to call off or not call off any type of events, nor to suggest timings of sports events" as decisions are "made by event organisers."

It comes as the SPFL are expected to make an announcement in the coming weeks regarding the Scottish Premiership and whether or not they will complete the campaign or end it prematurely, crowning Celtic as champions. The Championship, League One and League Two have all already been declared.

Any decision will have financial consequences for all clubs with a number of outfits already struggling under current circumstances. Further shut down until 2021 would see serious implications worldwide. Euro 2020 has already been delayed until 2021 which would provide more opposition to any suspension proposals.

We told how First Minister Nicola Sturgeon recently warned that football - even played behind closed doors - could be too much of a risk during long-term social distancing.