Cross-border leagues seen as idea for post-pandemic soccer
Italian soccer leagues given Aug. 20 deadline to complete their seasons
GENEVA, May 21, (AP): With soccer clubs losing revenue during the pandemic, one industry leader has said the idea of creating multi-nation leagues will be revived.
Many clubs risk bankruptcy because of the short-term prospect of playing games in empty stadiums coupled with the long-term struggle to retain and find sponsors.
Cross-border leagues will need to be looked at again in a wider debate of soccer economics, according of Jonas Baer-Hoffmann, general secretary of the global players’ union network FIFPRO.
“It might not be sustainable to run so many clubs,” Baer-Hoffmann told reporters in a conference call.
Until a vaccine for COVID-19 is available, clubs face being denied match-day revenue that is key in countries where domestic and international broadcasting deals are less valuable.
“That throws a big rock at the business models of these leagues,” the FIFPRO official said.
Multi-nation leagues have long been discussed in Europe as a possible solution for mid-ranking countries which have some standout clubs but struggle to compete commercially with big-market rivals.
The Dutch and Belgian leagues, which both had to end their seasons early due to the health crisis, are seen as the most likely cross-border partners. No formal proposal has been made to European soccer body UEFA.
In 2016, newly elected UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said he supported national leagues staying independent.
“There is a need for a general overall economic conversation for the industry,” Baer-Hoffmann said Wednesday, looking ahead to a difficult year for players and their employers.
One team executive from Croatia suggested last week 100 to 200 clubs could go bankrupt this year if their needs are not understood.
Baer-Hoffmann noted that in
Scotland, 43% of soccer revenue was “based on attendance at games.”
FIFPRO has 65 affiliated national player unions worldwide, including in many countries where players get salaries comparable to national averages.
In seven - Botswana, Egypt, Colombia, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay and Uruguay - unions have helped provide food packages to players while soccer is shut down, Baer-Hoffmann said.
“They are being stranded in terms of income,” he said, adding the vast majority of soccer players are “under the same financial pressures as the rest of society.”
Meanwhile, the Italian soccer federation has given the country’s top three leagues until Aug. 20 to complete their seasons.
The federation has also come up with alternative plans if the leagues have to be halted again because of the coronavirus pandemic. They could resort to playoffs or decide positions by applying coeffecients.
The following season is now scheduled to start on Sept. 1.
Serie A has been suspended since
March 9. There are 12 rounds remaining in the league and the Italian Cup is in the semifinal stage.
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LONDON: Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp says being back in group training with some of his players “felt like the first day in school.”
The Premier League leaders were among the English clubs undertaking staggered workouts in small groups following a relaxation of national lockdown regulations amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Those at the practice session at Liverpool’s training complex were still required to maintain social distancing. Video footage showed Mohamed Salah giving the thumbs-up before swerving to avoid Klopp as the forward ran onto the field to join teammates.
Klopp compared the current period to a pre-season and is keeping things simple to start off with despite saying his players are “in good shape.”
The German coach says the players are “getting used to the pitch, boots and ball, turns, passes, half-passes, softer passes, running, little accelerations and stuff like that.”
Liverpool leads the Premier League by 25 points and needs to win two more games to clinch its first league title since 1990.