PREMIER League bosses are about to announce the season is being scrapped due to coronavirus, according to Udinese director Pierpaolo Marino.
Football chiefs released a statement last week saying they intended to finish the season but refused to set a date for its return as the pandemic worsens.
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Udinese director Pierpaolo Marino believes the Premier League will be cancelledCredit: Getty Images – Getty
They have reportedly been given a “tentative'”green light to resume in June behind closed doors if the situation improves as hoped.
But according to Udinese director Marino – whose club has the same Pozzo family owners as Watford – the Premier League is set to follow Belgium’s example and call an end to the season.
Speaking to Sport Italia, the 65-year-old said: “The Belgian Federation has already sanctioned the end of their league, despite the threats of sanctions from Uefa.
“In England, the Premier League is about to release a similar statement, because the situation there is becoming very, very serious.
“I frankly just hope we can enjoy football again after the coronavirus.
“It doesn’t matter how long it takes, we need to get out of this danger zone. I am worried for the next seasons, not the old one.”
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Despite Liverpool’s huge lead at the top of the Premier League, it is still unclear what would happen should the season be declared over.
During crisis talks on March 27, Prem bosses admitted that “difficult decisions will need to be made” about what to do.
Uefa chief Aleksander Ceferin has dismissed claims that the season would be scrapped and Liverpool crowned champions.
He said: “I’ve saw and heard some again fake news that Uefa will advise leagues to finish the championships now and decide that the winners are the ones who are number one now.
“I can say that it’s not true.
“Our goal is to finish the leagues and we didn’t recommend anything like that to any association or league.”
However, the final decision will be made by the Premier League’s board – interim chair Claudia Arney, chief executive Richard Masters and director Kevin Beeston.
PREMIER LEAGUE DENY CLAIMS
The Premier League have dismissed the claims that they are about to pull the plug on the current season.
SunSport understands the situation is the complete opposite with league bosses and all 20 clubs doing everything possible to ensure the current campaign is played to a finish.
Only last week they announced the campaign would resume when it is safe to do so, and bosses have not set any date on when it needs to be completed by.
There is a hope matches could resume over the summer, with clubs now looking at the contracts of players due to expire at the end of June to see if they can be extended.
And Premier League chief Richard Masters says they could lose at least £1BILLION if the season does not restart.
FA chief Greg Clarke has warned the game could be decimated unless everyone pulls together and has agreed to broker a peace deal after players and clubs failed to find an agreement over wage cuts.
That followed a dramatic weekend when the Prem demanded PFA members agree a 30 per cent wage deferral but the bid was rejected.
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool have dominated the Premier League – but they could be denied gloryCredit: PA:Press Association
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Ally McCoist hates the idea of ending the Premier League season as it stands
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
