TORONTO, Canada—Major League Soccer (MLS) is invoking a clause that could put the start of the 2021 MLS season in jeopardy.
With players expected to return to training camp on Jan. 21, MLS notified the MLS Players Association (MLSPA) on Tuesday that it will indeed be invoking the Force Majeure clause in their new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which essentially allows to league to opt out of the current CBA, forcing both sides to return to the negotiating table as a result of uncontrollable and extreme circumstance—including an infectious disease pandemic.
“Unfortunately, based on the assessment of public health officials, it is clear that the impact of COVID-19 and the restrictions on attendance at sporting events will continue into the 2021 MLS season,” said MLS president and deputy commissioner Mark Abbott in a statement.