June
8 has emerged as the best-case scenario for when the Premier League season
could restart.
Premier League clubs remain keen to finish the season, but the proposal of
completing the campaign by June 30 was not raised in their meeting on
Friday.
All top-flight clubs were represented on the video call, with the focus on
different models for completing the season.
Clubs were shown different models for games restarting and being played in
June, July and August, but the Premier League reiterated that the season
will not resume until the government declares it is safe to do so.
Each club has either nine or 10 games left to play and it is thought all
remaining matches could be played in a five-week period.
The government said on Thursday the lockdown would be in place for at least
another three weeks, until May 7.
If the government advised clubs could start re-training soon after that
date, then it is possible games could start again in early June, with
training controlled to make sure players were kept a safe distance apart.
One option is for players to drive to their training grounds in their kits
so they spend less time in contact with other players.
Games would be played behind closed doors with all players, coaches and
match officials having been tested for coronavirus.
These protocols would only be adopted when tests are more readily available
to key workers and the public.
Premier League clubs remain united in their desire to finish the season, but
the proposal of completing the campaign by June 30 was not raised in
Friday's meeting.
No games have been played since March 13 and there are still 92 matches to
be played to complete the season.
The next shareholders' meeting is on May 1, when the situation could be
assessed once again.
UEFA wants all domestic leagues to be completed by August if possible so it
can hold the Champions League final in Istanbul on August 29.
The final was due to take place at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul
on May 30 but, under one of the new proposals which UEFA will discuss next
week, the final would be moved to Saturday, August 29 at the same venue.
Carra backs CL 'tournament' idea
Sky Sports Football Expert Jamie Carragher has backed the idea of an
alternative tournament format in August to complete European competition.
"I said something will probably have to give and I've said previously that
cup competitions would be more at risk than leagues because when leagues
finish obviously impacts on next season," he said.
"I don't think there's any way you can have Champions League games in the
middle of leagues starting up in Europe because games will be so spaced
together to try and get the season done - over three or four weeks - that it
feels like European competition will have to have its own situation.
"With the season moving on a month or two, everything will get pushed back,
so when they talk about August, that wouldn't be the start of next season.
August would instead feel like the summer in football terms or the end of
the season when you might have a tournament. I think that would be a good
idea.
"But the longer this goes on and things get pushed back, something has to
give. The Euros is next summer we know so you almost have to work back from
that.
"Is it the FA Cup or Carabao Cup next season that gets pushed out, and you
move the Champions League (conclusion) to August and start next season in
September or October? I think the Champions League will be really difficult
to fit in in a normal format so a tournament could work really well."
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