THE Premier League has been given hope of restarting in weeks rather than months after it was revealed Serie A could be back as early as May.
Prem chiefs confirmed the English top flight is out of action until at least April 3 – with clubs staring at a potential £1BILLION blackhole if the rest of the season is called off.
Tommasi, here alongside Buffon, says Serie A could be back in MayCredit: Getty Images – Getty
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But Italian Footballers’ Association president Damiano Tommasi says Cristiano Ronaldo and Co could be back in May or June.
That is dependant on “all going well” with coronavirus – a massive ask given Italy’s struggle to contain the killer bug, with at least 1,800 deaths in the country.
Tommasi is confident enough, though, to place a timescale on the league’s return despite the country – and most of Europe – remaining in a state of lockdown.
These are all the matches that have been suspended so far
He told Che Tempo Che Fa: “It’s clearly impossible to start playing at the beginning of April.
“If all goes well, we can resume in May or June. When we talk about football, people think we are only ensuring the safety of players, but there’s a whole world behind the team.
“The first to be contaminated were in Serie C with Pianese, and their kit man is still in intensive care. Juventus have 100 people under quarantine.
“These are people who travel all around Italy and Europe, meeting many, many people during the course of their work.
“The problem is not just Italian, but European, so Uefa have to behave like the European Union.”
Euro 2020 is set to be pushed back a year to allow domestic leagues to finish.
The dramatic response to the growing coronavirus crisis is expected to be confirmed by European chiefs on Tuesday.
Uefa has already called off this week’s planned European games and bosses are planning a four-team mini tournaments to settle the Champions League and Europa League.
Postponing the Euros will provide space in June and July for domestic leagues to be played to a finish if the virus is sufficiently contained for football to resume.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
