Argentina agrees to extend player contracts amid paralysis

BUENOS AIRES -- The Argentinian Football Association (AFA) and the Argentinian Players Association (FAA) agreed on Thursday to allow clubs to extend contracts in the wake of the coronavirus shutdown.

The decision is expected to impact around 2,000 players whose deals are due to expire in June, according to the FAA.

"Given the exceptional situation that the entire world is going through regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, the Argentinian Football Association signed a framework agreement with the FAA that provides the possibility for clubs to extend player contracts for six months," the AFA said in a statement on its website.

Argentinian football was suspended in mid-March and the AFA has since canceled the remainder of the 2019-20 season. It has not indicated when competitions will restart.

The AFA has also ruled that no teams will be relegated until at least 2022 because of the disruption caused by the global health crisis.

Argentina has more than 7,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases, over 350 of which have been fatal, according to health ministry figures.