CLUBS FEAR GIVING UP PRE-SEASON JACKPOT

PREMIER LEAGUE clubs fear their plans to televise lucrative summer friendlies are in jeopardy because of a clash with the return of international football. UEFA confirmed on Wednesday that the scheduled international window from September 3-8 will go ahead as planned — the first time national teams will play this year because of the coronavirus crisis. The start of the next domestic season has been pencilled in for the second week of September, meaning clubs would have to release key players for internationals during a period when they should be playing pre-season friendlies. As a result, English clubs are concerned that networks will be unwilling to pay high fees to televise matches if they do not involve the best players, or may not feel they are worth paying for at all. Clubs have been exploring ways of making up the financial shortfall caused by Covid-19 and selling the broadcast rights to pre-season friendlies has been among the ideas discussed. Teams have already cancelled their lucrative overseas tours because of the pandemic but there is hope that travel restrictions will be relaxed enough by pre-season to allow warm-up games in Europe. There is also hope that spectators will be allowed back into stadiums by the start of the next campaign, with friendlies providing the ideal test events. Ticket sales from those games would also ease the financial strain.

Meanwhile, UEFA have advised that the summer transfer window should close no later than October 5. The transfer registration period in a number of European countries, including England, has not yet opened because of the delay in finishing the season. European football’s governing body have set October 6 as the deadline for the registration of players to compete in the Champions League and Europa League group phase, recommending that the transfer window close the day before. UEFA’s executive committee have also approved a temporary relaxation of their financial fair play and club licensing regulations in light of the economic challenges presented by the pandemic.