FA chairman Greg Clarke has told Premier League chiefs that he believes the domestic season will not be completed due to the coronavirus outbreak, leaving the futures of clubs both on and off the pitch in limbo. Clarke was in attendance at Friday morning’s emergency meeting as the Premier League, EFL and the Women’s Super League were suspended until April 3 in response to the worrying growth of coronavirus cases in the game.
That April date already looks unstable, with Clarke telling the league that he expects that the domestic season will not be complete, the Times reports. Government guidelines suggest that the coronavirus will not peak until roughly mid-June, making it increasingly difficult for clubs to complete their fixtures.
Should the FA chief’s prediction come to fruition, it could have potentially devastating consequences for clubs all over the country.
On the pitch, it would raise unprecedented questions as to who is awarded honours for this season’s action.
Liverpool are at the top of the Premier League table by a whopping 25 points and are nailed on certainties to win their first title in 30 years. But if the season is ended early, action would have to be taken as to who is crowned champion, meaning the Reds face an anxious few weeks as big decisions are made. An equally important issue is the fight for survival at the bottom of the league. As it stands, Norwich City, Aston Villa and Bournemouth are sat in the relegation places. Although the race to stay up is far more tight nit than at the top of the table.Meanwhile, in the Championship, West Bromwich Albion and Leeds United look increasingly likely to secure promotion to the top flight. Both clubs would have great cause for concern should the season not be completed.
Off the field, should the Premier League season not be complete, the league would be in breach of their broadcasting contract which would therefore jeopardise approximately £750million in TV money.
That loss of money could put clubs in a perilous position, while clubs lower down the football league would suffer greatly should football be suspended until September.
Income streams will dry up but wages still need to be paid, with the EFL only having so much in reserve to help with payment situations. The drastic change in circumstances comes amid a growth of coronavirus cases among those involved in football.
As of Thursday night the Football League was planning to push ahead and play the next round of fixtures as normal, before it emerged Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta had tested positive for the virus and matters rapidly changed and the game was suspended until next month.
Young Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi was then also confirmed to have picked up the virus, and placed himself in isolation as a result.
A statement from the Premier League on Friday confirmed the division would finally be joining the likes of La Liga, Serie A and the Bundesliga in suspending its matches. while fears are mounting regarding the ramifications for the teams lower down the football pyramid who rely on match-day income to survive.
UEFA are now due to meet on Tuesday with 55 member associations, the boards of the European Club Association and the European Leagues and a representative of FIFPro to work out a strategy for moving forward and dealing with the rapidly progressing situation.
On a continental level UEFA have already confirmed all Champions League and Europa League fixtures have been postponed, as these tournaments now appear set to take a backseat as the respective leagues work out how to conclude their seasons.
All clubs are largely in agreement with Friday’s decision to halt proceedings but pressure will begin to mount in the coming week as the enormity of the situation begins to unfold. Most Premier League clubs can survive a prolonged layoff but many EFL teams will become vulnerable in the coming weeks and their survival is also a topic for several upcoming meetings.
With the season now inevitably being pushed back regardless, a brand new issue arises in the form of players due to see their contracts elapse in the summer.
Those players in the final years of their current employers will cease to be employed by clubs on June 30 when their deals expire.
The prospect of players not being able to play all the remaining fixtures with their current clubs is becoming very real.Sixty-nine Premier League players are out of contact on June 30, Willian, Oliver Giroud, Adam Lallana and Jan Vertonghen among them.
But clubs are now facing a delicate – and potentially expensive – situation of ensuring managers have a full quota of players to select if the season extends into July.