EFL Championship season suspended - this is what it means for Middlesbrough, Leeds United and West Brom

We take a look at what the big decision means for the second tier:

What does ‘suspending the season’ mean?

The EFL have announced a suspension to the Championship campaign, which will mean no fixtures will be played for a pre-determined period.

That period will initially run until April 4, although much will depend on how the outbreak of coronavirus continues, or otherwise.

Should events progress as hoped, it would still be expected that the season would be concluded – albeit with fixtures re-arranged in the summer months.

There have already been reports that UEFA are considering moving this summer’s European Championships to deal with an extended Premier League and EFL season.

What does it mean for promotion and relegation?

Very little.

It is expected that fixtures will still be completed at a later date, meaning that promotion and relegation should take place as usual.

There could be question marks over the play-offs, however, given the tight timescales involved with rearranging the season.

How long will a suspension of the season last?

This is currently unclear.

In other countries, the suspension has varied in length from two weeks to a month – with the option to extend if necessary.#

For now, the EFL suspension will only run until April 4, but it has been made clear that the suspension can be extended if necessary.

When will the suspension start?

The suspension is set to begin immediately – meaning Boro’s clash with Swansea City will not go ahead as planned.

Their trips to Stoke City and Hull City have also been postponed, with the home game against QPR set to be the first game back after the suspension as things stand.

What have other countries done?

A number of other countries have announced suspensions to their leagues – including Spain, Portugal, USA and the Netherlands.

Other leagues, such as those in France and Germany, will play behind closed doors.