THE Premier League may not restart until July… and then could all be finished behind closed doors within four weeks, according to reports.
All professional football in England is currently postponed until the end of April due to the coronavirus.
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Premier League football may not be back until July – and when it does could be played behind closed doorsCredit: Alamy Live News
But as the pandemic continues to have devastating consequences across the country, it looks increasingly likely that the suspension will be pushed back further.
Now, according to Football London, there is a suggestion that it may not return for another four months.
And even when it does get back underway, the Premier League and EFL may try and wrap up all the games within “four to six weeks” with no fans in attendance.
The report adds that on a conference call between the Premier League, EFL, the FA and the government on Saturday, the plan was apparently reached to complete the season in July.
The leagues are determined to complete the seasons – with most clubs having nine or ten matches of their league campaigns remaining – due to the ramifications it has going into next season but also financially.
Failure to see out the Premier League campaign could lead to a loss of £750million in TV revenue for clubs.
However, other reports stated that top-flight players are raging after being told they could play end up playing three matches in five days to complete the season.
Footie chiefs would ideally get the campaign wrapped up and completed by June 30 due to complications surrounding contracts.
At Chelsea, for example, Willian and Pedro are out of contract on that date but Hakim Ziyech’s deal begins on July 1.
However, there has been no official update from the football governing bodies since Friday.
They said tough choices will need to be made with regards the economic impact on football of coronavirus.
The statement read: “The Premier League, EFL and PFA met today and discussed the growing seriousness of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“It was stressed that the thoughts of all three organisations continue to be with everyone affected by the virus.
“The Premier League, EFL and PFA agreed that difficult decisions will have to be taken in order to mitigate the economic impact of the current suspension of professional football in England and agreed to work together to arrive at shared solutions.
“The leagues will not recommence until 30 April at the earliest. They will only do so when it is safe and conditions allow.
“Further meetings will take place next week with a view to formulating a joint plan to deal with the difficult circumstances facing the leagues, their clubs, players, staff and fans.”
The postponement will in all likelihood be extended, with debate raging on whether the season should be declared null and void, played to the end at the earliest opportunity, or ended in its current state.
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A mathematical model which ranks the difficulty of each team’s remaining matches could be the fairest method.
The final decision will be made by the Premier League’s board – interim chair Claudia Arney, chief executive Richard Masters and director Kevin Beeston.
They will consult with all 20 clubs but the final decision will rest with the board.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
