Daily Press (Sunday)

EPL aims for June restart in neutral stadiums

- By Rob Harris Associated Press

MANCHESTER, England — The English Premier League has stepped up planning to resume the competitio­n in neutral stadiums, holding separate talks with the government and its clubs to discuss the COVID-19 testing and logistics necessary.

Players at some clubs returned to training grounds this week for individual fitness work, but Britain remains in a national lockdown until next Thursday.

Forms of social distancing will remain in place even if the lockdown is eased, but clubs are hoping squad trainings can begin within weeks. That would require the Premier League to buy thousands of COVID-19 tests so players and coaches can be regularly checked, but there are still shortages of them in wider society.

The aim is to resume the league after June 8 following a three-month suspension, with games without spectators in any stadiums. Police expressed concerns that fans could still gather outside stadiums if their team was playing at home.

So no team is now due to play any of its remaining matches in its own stadium, because the league does not believe all 20 grounds would be granted a safety certificat­e with police and medical resources already stretched across the country dealing with the pandemic.

Decisions by the Dutch and French government­s over the last week led to their soccer seasons ending. But British Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said he was working on plans that deliver for the Britons who “desperatel­y want sport back on.”

“We just kicked off 1st of many detailed meetings to plan for a safe return of elite sport behind closed doors when, & only when, it is safe to do so on the basis of expert medical advice,” tweeted Dowden, who oversees sports in the government. “Lots to consider, but today we step up planning.”

The 20 clubs in Italy’s Serie A also held a video conference on Friday. They were said to agree that the season should be completed if they can do so in accordance with government guidelines and by respecting health regulation­s and protocols.

Lower-league profession­al soccer clubs in England have been told they might not be allowed fans at their matches until 2021.

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