MASTERS AN APPRENTICE Prem chief fell flat on his face
RICHARD MASTERS has wasted no time in making an impression as the Premier League’s chief executive.
He was only appointed on a permanent basis three months ago after a long, frustrating and often embarrassing recruitment process.
The former sales and marketing director was fifth choice to succeed Richard Scudamore, after the Premier League failed to appoint four other candidates – two of which accepted the role but never made it to their new office. Masters, 53, may be wishing he had also made a U-turn now after the events of the past few days.
The coronavirus crisis presented him with the first genuine test of his leadership – and he fell flat on his face. His first error was to listen to Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s advice when it came to how to deal with the outbreak that has turned the sporting world on its head.
Despite numerous clubs confirming positive cases of the virus within their camps, Masters refused to take the drastic but necessary steps even a halfwit could have made.
At 9.30pm on Thursday, having no doubt listened to Johnson and his advisors basically say, ‘Wash your hands and you’ll be okay’ – and that there would be no immediate bans on sporting events – Masters and the Premier League insisted this weekend’s games would still take place.
Just over an hour later on Thursday night, after Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta had confirmed he had the virus, an emergency meeting of the Premier League was called for the following morning.
Only then was it finally decided there would be no elite football until April 4 at the earliest. Halleluja.
But even when common sense prevailed, Masters’ opposite numbers at the Football League had beaten him to the punch and announced all games were off.
After the meeting he refused to speak to the media outside HQ in Paddington, scuttling out insisting he didn’t want to expand on the statement released.
These are unprecedented times. There are no instructions on how to deal with something like this – because something like this has never happened before.
But you didn’t have to be Albert Einstein to know the coronavirus was raging towards the UK from continental Europe, killing people in the process, and would arrive on our shores some time soon.
In times of crisis we need strong leadership from those who run the game and it took the likes of Masters far too long to stick two fingers up to the advice the Government was dishing out.
The next few weeks promise to test Masters even more.
He has to find a way to get the domestic season finished, even if this means playing games into the summer months behind closed doors at the expense of Euro 2020, which UEFA are expected to postpone until next year.
They will hold a conference call with the 55 member associations on Tuesday.
Can Masters rise to the challenge? Can he find a solution to a seemingly impossible situation, even if this means abandoning the current season? Can he be like his name suggests – a master?
As he sits at his desk feeling like the weight of the footballing world is on his shoulders, he should read the statement Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp gave to supporters when he said, “We don’t want to play in front of empty stadiums and we don’t want games or competitions suspended.
“But if doing so helps one individual stay healthy – just one – we do it. No questions asked.
“If it’s a choice between football and the good of the wider society, it’s no contest. Really, it isn’t.”