PREMIER LEAGUE bosses had drawn up secret plans to crown Liverpool champions before the coronavirus lockdown, reports have claimed.
The Mirror say that Jurgen Klopp could have been hoisting the top-flight trophy for the first time in 30 years after beating Crystal Palace.
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Premier League chiefs had reportedly drawn up secret plans to crown Liverpool championsCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Top level talks reportedly took place about bringing the presentation forward with what, at the time, was just the looming threat of coronavirus.
Liverpool were just two wins away from winning their first title in 30 years and the plan was to crown them champions at Anfield on Saturday, March 21.
It could have happened had the Reds beat Everton in the Merseyside derby the previous Monday and followed that up with another win over the Eagles.
The report adds that nothing had been formally agreed but the plan was for Liverpool fans to celebrate their crowning glory at home before football was called off.
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Provisions were even made for a trophy parade before the rapidly escalating scale of Covid-19 became clear.
The Premier League title is usually celebrated by the winning team at their last home game of the season.
Bringing it forward to March would have been, the report adds, an “unheard” of move.
But it never got the chance to happen – with football’s future also up in the air.
Liverpool remain 25 points clear at the top of the table but the resumption of the season – initially set for April 30 – will be pushed back further when Premier League chiefs meet this week.
However, fears remain the season could be scrapped, especially after Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin admitted at the weekend the campaign “could be lost” unless football restarts by the end of June.
When football does return, it could be behind closed doors.
That means when Liverpool do win the title they will celebrate it inside an empty stadium.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
