The coronavirus pandemic is far from passing, and it might not be a great time to talk about other topics. However, people also like discussing other things to get their minds off the virus. Football is a favourite topic, especially the question of whether and when the Premier League will continue.
At the moment, it is like betting on Roulette77 UK – every guess has the same chance.
It is needless to say that how quickly the UK deals with the coronavirus will determine what will happen with the Premier League. We tried to analyze the situation and see where we are at this point.
Premier League Will Finish: at Some Point
Gary Neville was a guest on the Debate show hosted by Sky Sports and pinpointed that the league will do everything to complete the remaining rounds. According to Neville, PL will only discuss cancelling the rest of the season in an extreme scenario.
It makes sense because finishing the season would be the fair-play move. If it is clear who will win the Premiership, the relegation battle is far from being resolved. The FA can finish the season with the current standings, but who would explain to AFC Bournemouth that they are relegated because of a worse goal difference? And what about Aston Villa who played one match less than the others, and three points could get them to the safe zone?
The second scenario is cancelling the entire Premier League 2019/20 as if it never happened. In that case, you will have millions of fans throughout the world furious. Those guys have been waiting on the PL title for decades, and won’t see cancelling the season as fair.
Ultimately, it is understandable why the FA is looking for ways to finish the season. It will also mean more money from TV rights for clubs. Sports might be fun to watch, but professionals need to consider finances, too.
Will Spectators Be Able to Head to the Stadiums?
That is hard to imagine, especially if the current season continues. The reports indicate that Bundesliga and Serie A will continue without spectators for at least the end of the year. The forecasts are grim, but it is the right move for the fans’ safety.
It is why you should get ready to watch the games on TV. However, live football action has been gone for so long that fans will welcome it in any way it comes. The situation is far from ordinary, and each decision will have to be carefully considered. Rushing people to stadiums might have an adverse effect and even cause another outbreak. It is not something we want to happen.
How Long Will It Take to Finish the Season?
The league currently has nine rounds (and a couple of extra matches). If the teams play two matches weekly, it will take more than a month to complete them all. Add a couple of weeks of “pre-season” for the players to get back into shape. Now, consider teams playing in the European competitions since more matches have to be played in continental tournaments.
The basic math tells us the season can’t be completed without at least two months. The estimations are that the pandemic will last until June (if not longer), which means that the season won’t end until August.
The schedule is tight because August is when the next season should start. Where would you fit the break, how would the league regulate the transfer, and what will happen with players’ contracts? Many footballers have contracts expiring at the end of June.
Even if we put legal things aside, the dates remain a problem. However, that is something for the administration to worry about once the pandemic finishes. As football fans, we can be selfish and send a message that we can look forward to a lot of football once everything kicks off. And even if that’s only on TV, it is still better than nothing!
