The coronavirus pandemic is creating a puzzle for French football and, for the moment, those in charge have no idea what the answer might be. The idea of simply declaring the season over is gaining ground in some quarters but others remain strongly opposed to the suggestion.

The top-flight and second divisions have already been suspended for three weeks, with 10 rounds each to play, prompting many of the leading voices to no longer insist the season should finish at “whatever the cost”.

“There are more uncertainties today,” Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas told the L’Equipe daily on Sunday. Aulas was an early advocate of ending the league and basing European qualification on last season’s final standings which would put his seventh-place team in the Champions League. He added that the chances of “finishing all the matches are low”.

His counterpart at Brest, Denis Le Sant, told the same paper: “The season could not start again”.

Amiens president Bernard Joannin, whose club is 19th in the standings, agrees.

“Denis Le Saint has a very humane position that places the health of all above everything else. It’s a view that’s shared by a lot of people in the world of football. You have to understand that the only commander is Covid-19. Unfortunately, it sets the agenda,” he said.

Others were outraged.

“We hope that the league will finish if it’s possible,” said Pierre Wantiez, general manager of Ligue 2 Le Havre. “It’s shameful for me to see some people feel ashamed that football wants to come back to life at some point.”

The situation is confusing leaders across the game. The lockdown in France has been extended to at least April 15. Most clubs have put staff, including players, on part-time contracts and some of the league’s foreign stars, including Brazil’s Neymar, have gone home.

Broadcasters Canal+ and beIN Sports have suspended the payment of TV rights, the main source of revenue for clubs. In this context, the French league is increasing the frequency of its conference calls but delaying its decisions.

“Today, who can say what’s going to happen? We’re preparing for everything,” said Olivier Delcourt, president of Ligue 1 Dijon which is three points above the relegation play-off spot. “For the time being, I think it’s urgent to wait.”

The issue of TV rights will be addressed this week by a quartet of presidents, led by Paris Saint-Germain chief Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who is also head of beIN Media and several sources confirmed negotiations with Canal+ are planned.

The timetable depends on the decision of the French government on when to end the lockdown and to a lesser degree, those of the governing bodies of world and European football, Fifa and Uefa.

Fifa has to change the way the summer transfer market works, because players whose contracts end this season will become free agents in June. Uefa has been open to postponing the Champions League until the end of July or August to allow the domestic leagues to end but has also threatened to bar clubs from leagues that do not finish.

Some officials argue a “deadline” for the resumption of the league must be set quickly.

“A resumption of the season until doomsday should not push the problem onto the next championship,” Wantiez warned.