There hasn’t been an update from the Premier League for some time now, but that is expected to change on Friday as all clubs are expected to meet and lay down a plan for how the season could end. According to reports, there are a growing number of clubs that want the season to be concluded by the 30th June, which could mean that there is a race against time for the Premier League to get back to action.
The top-flight in England has been suspended since the middle of March, but a growing number of clubs want the season to be concluded by the end of June, as players contracts are due to run out on the 1st July. It has been reiterated by all clubs that they hope to end the season with the remaining games being played, with none of the teams involved wanting to end the season as null-and-void.
Possible Outcomes From Premier League Meeting
The coronavirus contingency plans will unsurprisingly be at the top of the agenda at the meeting. There is an expectancy that the Premier League could put a new date on when games could resume with a final round of games being played before the end of June. However, the difficulty in doing that is still pretty high, as nobody knows at this time when it would be safe to resume the football season. Clubs could face losing players that are out of contract or on loan if the season continues past the 30th June.
FIFA has recently revealed that players that are contracted until the end of the 2019-20 season will not be allowed to leave their clubs until the season has reached its conclusion. However, no plans have been put in place to stop players from leaving, which means they could still do so despite FIFA stating that they can’t. Clubs will be hoping for some reassurance at the meeting regarding contract statuses.
No Date Likely To Be Put On Return
Fans that are hoping for a date to be finally put on a return to action will be left disappointed, as the Premier League have already stated that they are unsure when the league may resume and are acting on guidance given by the government. However, the return to football in England may not be what many had hoped for, as games are likely to be played behind closed doors for the first number of months, before they are able to allow fans back through the turnstiles.
The biggest issue for clubs to talk about is the finances, with many smaller clubs already having to put their non-playing staff on furlough pay, while many players have agreed to take pay cuts during this time. One Premier League owner also revealed to Sky Sports that the season could still yet be abandoned depending on the government. Should the league be abandoned, then there must be a decision regarding whether the season is null-and-void, or the league ends in the shape that it is currently in.
