Fans ‘will be back at games soon’

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin is certain ‘good old football with fans will come back very soon’ despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The Bundesliga made a successful return to action behind closed doors at the weekend and many other leagues are preparing to resume in front of empty stands, with Ceferin confident the situation will soon improve.

He said: “I don’t think that this virus will last forever. I think it will (change) sooner than many think.

“I don’t like this apocalyptic view that we have to wait for the second and third waves or even a fifth wave. People you know are likely to die one day, but do we have to be worried today? I don’t think so.

“We are ready and we will follow the recommendations of the authorities but I’m absolutely sure, personally, that good old football with fans will come back very soon.”

Meanwhile, fans have been given encouragement that some Premier League matches will be televised free-to-air after ‘productive discussions’ between the Government and English football authorities.

Oliver Dowden, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport believes the absence of a Saturday afternoon blackout, which is enforced between 2.45 and 5.15 during the regular season, can provide some ‘flexibility’.

“I think that creates an opportunity for us to be able to get some sport, some Premier League free to air,” Dowden said. “Those discussions are ongoing.”