London (AFP) – Premier League clubs on Friday reconfirmed their commitment to finish the 2019/20 season subject to coronavirus restrictions being lifted in Britain despite fears expressed by players.
The English top flight faces an eye-watering estimated loss of around £1 billion ($1.25 billion) if no more football is played due to the global pandemic.
Playing the 92 remaining games behind closed doors would mitigate that loss, avoiding the need to repay hundreds of millions to broadcasters.
But the Premier League faces huge logistical difficulties in its attempts to return to action, with Britain one of the countries worst-hit by COVID-19.
The league and clubs discussed possible steps towards resuming the season at a meeting on Friday.
“The league and clubs are considering the first tentative moves forward and will only return to training and playing with government guidance, under expert medical advice and after consultation with players and managers,” the Premier League said in a statement.
“The clubs reconfirmed their commitment to finishing the 2019/20 season, maintaining integrity of the competition and welcomed the government’s support.”
The British government is due to review a nationwide lockdown on May 7 and Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised on Thursday to provide a “roadmap” towards easing restrictions.
– Legal challenges –
Liverpool are on the brink of their first league title for 30 years with a 25-point lead at the top of the table.
However the Premier League is keen to avoid potential legal challenges over the awarding of much more tightly contested European places, relegation and promotion if the season cannot be completed.
Paris Saint-Germain were declared Ligue 1 champions on Thursday after French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced sport could not resume before September.
The decision to end the season based on average points per game has angered some clubs, most notably Lyon, who have threatened legal action after missing out on a European place.
Key to any restarting of matches in the Premier League is government support. Oliver Dowden, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, struck a positive tone after a meeting with leaders of a number of sports on Friday.
“We just kicked off first of many detailed meetings to plan for a safe return of elite sport behind closed doors when, and only when, it is safe to do so on the basis of expert medical advice,” Dowden tweeted.
However, players are questioning whether they are being rushed back into action to save the clubs money.
from World Soccer Talk https://ift.tt/2zH8qb0
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