The
Premier League will hold an emergency meeting on Thursday to establish plans
for the remainder of the season.
Football League clubs will meet on Wednesday to discuss their own response
to the coronavirus crisis.
It is believed Premier League clubs will have more information by then after
a UEFA European football stakeholders meeting on Tuesday.
As it stands, no Premier League fixtures will take place until April 4 at
the earliest, with the Football League also suspending all games until April
3.
The measure to postpone Premier League football was agreed at an "emergency
club meeting" on Friday and in light of Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta and
Chelsea midfielder Callum Hodson-Odoi confirming they had tested positive
for the virus.
Some clubs believe the season can still be completed if games start again on
April 4 but others think it is more realistic to start preparing for the
possibility of there being no top-flight football until the start of next
season in August.
One senior source at a Premier League club says he believes there is a "75
per cent chance this season will not be complete".
West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady feels the current campaign should be
declared null and void, with Liverpool denied the Premier League title.
A step into the unknown
Analysis from Sky Sports News Chief Reporter Bryan Swanson
The next club meeting will sharpen minds on the longer-term impact of an
unprecedented pandemic.
Premier League officials have been gathering expert medical advice and will
put forward several options to all 20 clubs, with detailed financial and
sporting implications.
By next Thursday, clubs will know more about the government's plans to ban
mass gatherings, including football fixtures, and there should be a clearer
understanding of the direction of travel following UEFA's emergency meeting
on Tuesday about whether this summer's European Championships will be
delayed.
Karren Brady's public "null and void" remarks may have bemused some clubs,
and irritated others, but the Premier League will do all it can to complete
the season. If Euro 2020 is postponed, it would free up space in June, but a
lot will depend on further projected peaks for coronavirus in the UK.
The scheduled Euro 2020 final date of July 12 could be used as a marker for
the end of the domestic season in Europe, too. That is the date when many
top players will have hoped to compete for their country, at Wembley, before
the start of a pre-season break.
Every Premier League club, and other European leagues, will have a preferred
choice to deal with this extraordinary situation. An enhanced 22-team
Premier League next season could put a further strain on an already
congested fixture calendar. We can expect to see more ideas and options in
the coming days.
The Premier League will want to avoid a public spat between its clubs. It
prefers its decisions to be unanimous, as it was in deciding to suspend all
games until April 4 at the earliest. If disagreements persist, two-thirds of
clubs - 14 - are required to agree to any constitutional change.
Football authorities know, and understand, the game will always come second
to public health. People's lives are at risk. This is a step into the
unknown and, in an ever-changing world, nobody is quite sure what will
happen next.
'Next coronavirus step divides Premier League clubs'
Analysis from Sky Sports News reporter
Kaveh Solhekol:
Some clubs believe the season can still be completed if games start again on
April 4 but others think it is more realistic to start preparing for the
possibility of there being no top-flight football until the start of next
season in August.
One senior source at a Premier League club says he believes there is a 75
per cent chance this season will not be completed.
Leading figures in the European game will decide what to do about this
season's Champions League, Europa League and Euro 2020.
The Premier League would have extra time to complete this season's fixtures
if Euro 2020 is postponed, but it remains to be seen if there is any
appetite from players and clubs to play on into the summer - especially
because the coronavirus infection is expected to build to a peak in the UK
in May or June.
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