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How will the LaLiga title be decided? What about relegation?

  /  autty

The suspension of LaLiga Santander has raised plenty of questions.

All professional football in Spain has been halted due to the threat of coronavirus, with the country declaring a state of emergency on Friday.

We've looked at the key questions in what are unprecedented, uncertain times.

What happens with the rest of the LaLiga Santander season?

If Euro 2020 are postponed until next year, there could be enough spare time this summer to complete the rest of the season and play all 38 matchdays.

Matches could be played every Wednesday and Sunday to speed up the process.

How will the league be decided if it can't be completed?

There is the option of going down the basketball route and have teams compete in play-offs to decide the title.

If you're using the NBA's format, the top eight teams in LaLiga Santander at the moment could face off once football resumes, with all of them in within a shout of winning the trophy.

What about relegation?

Play-offs could be introduced for this too, with the bottom six teams fighting to stay in Spain's top flight.

This might be unfair, but it would create thrilling spectacles for fans and neutrals alike.

What if the season were to be decided now?

If LaLiga decide not to resume the season, they could just take the current standings as final.

Barcelona would win the title, while Real Madrid, Sevilla and Real Sociedad taking up the Champions League places, although Getafe are behind La Real on goal difference only and would finish higher if it went to head-to-head.

In terms of relegation, Espanyol, Leganes and Real Mallorca would drop down to LaLiga SmartBank in a decision that wouldn't please their fans at all.

What about promotion from LaLiga SmartBank?

A solution for this could see the bottom three teams from the top tier and the top three teams from the second tier compete in play-offs to decide who stays up, goes up, goes down or stays down.

How will they decide who qualifies for the Europa League?

This is more complicated. With Real Sociedad and Athletic Club facing off in the Copa del Rey final, there's a Europa League spot on offer there.

If La Real win the trophy, the seventh-place team in LaLiga Santander - Valencia - will go into the Europa League instead. If Athletic take the crown, they will qualify.

What happens if the season doesn't resume?

Cadiz and Real Zaragoza are currently in the promotion places in LaLiga SmartBank while Almeria, Huesca, Girona and Elche are in the play-off places.

One of the options they have in Germany is to promote four teams from the Bundesliga 2 and keep all 18 teams in the Bundesliga, making the top flight at 22-team league next season.