Next season ‘must start by September’
Premier League deadline adds to 2019-20 pressure Games to begin three weeks after training can resume
Premier League clubs have been told that the 2020-21 season must start by the first week of September at the latest. The deadline puts huge pressure on the Premier League to eventually make a decision over the completion of this season and means they cannot resume playing later than July.
The Premier League remains hopeful that the season can start again in the week beginning June 8, although that is dependent on Government advice and a lifting of coronavirus restrictions. That was the overriding message from the latest video conference meeting involving the 20 clubs yesterday.
The clubs discussed the issue of how players would return to training, with one plan being for them to work in pairs for an hour initially at the training ground after getting changed in their cars to minimise contact.
Clubs are expected to be told they will have three weeks from when the Government gives the go-ahead for them to be allowed to train to playing matches, which would be behind closed doors.
The issue of having to finish the season by July 1 was not formally raised, despite nine clubs having privately expressed a desire to complete the remaining 92 games by that date because of the “contract chaos”, as one source put it, which would occur if they played into July. If the season were to be extended beyond June, then clubs might lose players before fixtures were concluded.
A keen interest is being taken in how the Bundesliga is preparing to resume fixtures, with players in Germany having returned to training in the hope that games could be played next month without spectators. The Premier League stressed that football could not begin again until the Government eased restrictions, which have been extended to May 7.
Premier League staff have been working with club doctors to draw up a series of protocols that would allow football to return in a “safe and appropriate” manner and safeguard against the spread of the virus. Testing would be key to that and the Premier League is keen not to take resources away from vital services. The use of testing would have to have Government support.
The Premier League said that “all dates are tentative” and that it was looking at “possible schedule models”, but it would struggle to complete the 2020-21 season if it started after the first week in September because of the other competitions that needed to be scheduled and the dates set for the next European Championship, starting on June 11, 2021.
Of prime importance is not to damage two seasons or risk what one Premier League source said was the “integrity” of the next campaign by extending this season beyond the summer. Clubs are concerned as to how they can complete the remaining games and allow a sufficient pre-season – and give the players a break – before the 2020-21 campaign starts.
The Premier League said it “remains our objective” to complete matches following the suspension of football on March 13. “We are actively engaging with stakeholders, including broadcast partners, and our aim is to ensure we are in a position to resume playing when it is safe to do so and with the full support of the Government,” it said.
Brighton and Hove Albion, meanwhile, have discussed pumping crowd noise into their stadium for games behind closed doors.
“We’ve started to give some thought internally into … could we dress the stadium?” Paul Barber, their chief executive, said. “Could we make the stadium better than just blue empty seats in our case? Could we look at noise being brought into the stadium in some way? But is that really what the fans at home would want and is that what the broadcasters would want?”
Barber also raised the prospect of covering up seats with a giant message thanking National Health Service staff for their heroics during the pandemic.