Premier League clubs to begin planning for behind-closed-doors games

Premier League clubs have agreed to complete the 2019/20 campaign if possible amid the suspension due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Posted Monday, March 23, 2020 by Express.co.uk

Premier League clubs will begin planning this week for what is now the likely option for finishing the current season, that remaining matches are played behind closed doors - from some point in May towards an end date of July 14. All 20 clubs are in agreement they want to complete, if possible, the 38-game season which has been suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

When and how are the big questions.

It will be many weeks before there is a clear picture of the full impact of the pandemic in the UK - and after an emergency meeting last week the Premier League clubs said the season was shut down to April 30 at the earliest.

If it can resume then, or sometime in the following weeks, there is a growing consensus among the clubs that matches will have to be staged in empty grounds.

This is considered preferable to alternatives of the 2019-20 season being made null and void, or declaring the current League standings as the final positions in the table.

The Premier League are set to plan for games without fans

When a few matches in European club competition were played behind closed doors before the suspension of all football, it looked surreal and strange to TV viewers.

Premier League clubs hope there might be a very different psychology if the season starts again with these type of games, and that just being able to watch football once more will make millions enjoy watching live streamed TV coverage.

Meanwhile, the coronavirus continues to impact on sport.

It was revealed yesterday that football legend Pele has gone into quarantine in Brazil because of fears for his health.

Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton said he had come out of one week of isolation, which he went into after meeting actor Idris Elba, who has tested positive for coronavirus.

“I have zero symptoms and it has now been 17 days since I saw Idris,” said Hamilton. “I have been in touch with Idris and happy to hear he is okay.

“I did speak to my doctor and double-checked if I needed to take a test. But the truth is, there is a limited amount of tests available and there are people who need it more than I do.”

There were also further calls to postpone the Tokyo Olympics this summer, with the high-profile USA athletics team making a formal written request for that to happen.