Amidst the backdrop of the Covid-19 global pandemic, which has cost lives across the planet and seen world economies crash, the Premier League are desperate to complete the 2019/20 campaign.
When football was put on hold, all of the footballing authorities were unanimous in their desire to complete the season.
English top-flight clubs are just nine games shy of completing their 38 game campaign, with Liverpool close to securing their first top division title in 30 years and first during the Premier League era.
With Manchester City facing sanctions from UEFA and banned from Europe’s elite club competition, various clubs are vying for a top-five position in the Premier League including newly-promoted side Sheffield United, if they were to qualify for the UEFA Champions League it would be a defining moment for the club that could change it forever.
At the bottom of the division, there are six clubs in a mini-battle to avoid relegation to the Championship.
All of the clubs have their own reasons for feeling that they could avoid ending the season in the bottom three, with West Ham United, Watford and AFC Bournemouth level on points, Brighton & Hove Albion just two points ahead of those clubs and Aston Villa only four points behind, but with a game in hand. Even Norwich City, bottom of the table are only four points further adrift.
The FA, Premier League, EFL and women’s professional game, together with the PFA and LMA are committed to finding ways of resuming the 2019/20 football season as soon as it is safe and possible to do so
Full statement: https://t.co/kr0sJk8JHp pic.twitter.com/K1OBzBbKfc
— Premier League (@premierleague) March 19, 2020
The non-league levels have already decided to expunge the campaign from the record books, with no promotions or relegations, the Football Association, Premier League and Football League are all due to meet this week to discuss plans.
Financial implications will be what drives these decisions. With television broadcastings rights, particularly in the Premier League, probably a dominant factor.
So, a festival of football to entertain lockdown families across the country and the world is what the Premier League could be pushing for. Options could include, behind closed doors games played in quick succession, with the season completed by the end of June. Football authorities are keen to avoid the legal complications of player contracts expiring and indeed commercial rights for sponsorships at league and club level.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has however confessed that even at the highest level, the idea that the current campaign could be lost is a reality.
He said…
“There is a plan A, B and C.
“The three options are to start again in mid-May, in June or at the end of June.
“There is also the possibility of starting again at the beginning of the next [season], starting the following one later. We will see the best solution for leagues and clubs.”
Concluding…
“If we don’t succeed in restarting, the season will probably be lost,”
Whilst the idea of delaying the start of the 2020/21 season could be an idea, especially with UEFA already postponing the European Championships for twelve months, time is a crucial factor and the Premier League are not bound by UEFA or other national leagues decisions on how to conclude the campaign.
* the remainder of this article was an April fool.
So the Premier League are also looking into the possibility of altering the format of games to have them running concurrently in the same stadiums to get the season wrapped up in double-quick fashion.
Two matches could be played at the same time in the same stadium, if teams played on shorter pitches across the width of the pitch, teams could drop down to seven-a-side, allowing for rolling substitutions. Games would be shortened to 20-minute halves, allowing sides to play three games a day. VAR, however, would be scrapped in a bid to speed up the game, another blow to supporters.
5 host stadiums would be selected for this model, teams would rotate around these host stadium, every 48 hours, giving time for cleaning off all grounds and other necessary precautions.
All teams would complete their Premier League campaign over the course of one week, with the title, European qualification and relegation from the Premier League all confirmed.
The Football League would do something similar to incorporate their 24 team structure across their three divisions.
Your say…
Westbourne Cherry wrote…
I can not see how the current season can finish unless the games are played over a very short period of time and behind closed doors. The new season needs to start on time so the Premier Clubs all get their 100 plus million. If there is a delay starting the new season then surely the TV companies will not be required to pay the contracted money and clubs will not have the revenue to pay the players. – Join the conversation, click here.
