VAN DIJK IS ON THE VERGE OF ANFIELD GREATNESS FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS ‘I’M GUTTED OUR FANS MAY MISS THE TITLE PARTY’
VIRGIL VAN DIJK is “gutted” at the prospect of Liverpool fans being unable to properly celebrate a first league title in 30 years.
The coronavirus pandemic has forced the Premier League to be suspended until April 3 at the earliest.
After that, there is still the on-going possibility of games being played in empty stadiums.
Kop hero Van Dijk is in limbo like everyone else, and feels sad for supporters who were looking forward to getting their title party started before the world health threat.
But he has promised Liverpool’s players will still make it special for them when normal service is resumed.
“If we won it in an empty stadium and the fans weren’t there, I’d be gutted for them,” said the defender.
“Obviously, if there are no fans at Anfield, then it will be a bit of a blow – no one wants to play games without the fans.
“And it would be like that for fans of all the clubs in the Premier League.
Everyone who wants to go and support their team, but can’t be at the game, will find it tough.
“Until a decision is made on how we go on from here, then we just have to deal with it.
“But when it happens, we are still bringing the title to our fans, definitely.
“We all have to be sensible and deal with it with common sense. If the authorities make that judgement, we just have to deal with it and accept it.”
With some health officials warning the COVID-19 crisis is set to peak in the weeks AFTER April 3, and last until at least June, it’s unlikely football will return to full stadiums following the initial 22-day suspension.
The FA and Premier League will assess the situation again at the beginning of April and privately admit they are in “wait-and-see” mode.
But officials at some top Premier League clubs believe the situation is likely to intensify and all planning at present is purely hypothetical.
Of more immediate concern to them is how to keep players fit if training complexes are closed – currently the case at Everton and Arsenal, with other clubs expected to follow suit.
One Premier League club official said: “These are uncharted waters for all of us. New problems are emerging every hour, let alone every day. It’s hard to do any detailed forward planning because no one knows how long this might last.
“All we can do is batten down the hatches and take the appropriate advice to protect our players and all the staff.”