Premier League ‘may not finish’
FA chief says it is not feasible to complete season even as more footballers test positive for coronavirus
LONDON: Football Association chairman Greg Clarke has reportedly told the Premier League he does not believe the domestic football season will be completed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Premier League suspended all fixtures at an emergency meeting on Friday. Matches in the English Football League, FA Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship are also on hold.
“It was unanimously decided to suspend the Premier League with the intention of returning on 4 April, subject to medical advice and conditions at the time,” the Premier League said in a statement.
Clarke said at the meeting that he did not think it was feasible for the season to be completed, according to a report in the Times. The virus is not expected to peak in Britain for many weeks, raising doubts over an early April re-start for the Premier League.
West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady said if the Premier League fixtures could not be completed, the only fair solution would be to declare the season “null and void”.
Writing in The Sun, Brady, whose club are just two places above the relegation zone, said: “There is no dodging the possibility that all levels in the English Football League (EFL) as well as the Premier League will have to be cancelled and this season declared null and void because if the players can’t play the games can’t go ahead.”
Richard Masters, the Premier League chief executive, is reported to have said it would at least allow time to consider the potential consequences and debate the possible solutions.
DON’T START TRAINING: SERIE A DOCTORS WARN
ROME: Serie A doctors on Saturday warned against a return to club training after Fiorentina’s Patrick Cutrone and German Pezzella and Sampdoria’s Fabio Depaoli brought the number of Italian top flight players with coronavirus to 10.
“Serie A medics express their strong concern about protecting the health of club employees should training and other group assemblies be resumed soon,” top-flight doctors said in a statement. “Therefore, unanimously, the medics advise that we do not resume training until a clear improvement of the emergency situation.” Four Fiorentina team members have caught the virus with Dusan Vlahovic also testing positive on Friday, along with a club physiotherapist.
FIORENTINA PLAYERS TEST POSITIVE
ROME: Fiorentina’s Italian forward Patrick Cutrone and Argentine defender German Pezzella have both tested positive for coronavirus, along with a club physiotherapist, the Serie A team said on Saturday.
“All three tested positive. Their health is good and they are at home in Florence,” Fiorentina said in a statement.
GERMAN, FRENCH CLUBS REPORT CASES
LONDON: German top flight club Paderborn said central defender Luca Kilian has tested positive for the coronavirus while French second division side Troyes confirmed two players had also been infected.
The positive tests were disclosed hours both countries suspended their top football ties.