Cancelling this season's Premier League

[Archie Knox]

France is considering restarting Ligue 1 on 3 June or 17 June, with the latter date more likely, sports daily L'Equipe has reported, citing a document from league organisers (LFP).

Soccer in France was suspended indefinitely last month due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On Monday French President Emmanuel Macron extended the lockdown in the country to May 11.

The L'Equipe report said that if the season resumed on 17 June teams would have to play every three days so the regular campaign could end by 25 July, leaving time for relegation and promotion playoffs to be completed by 2 August.

L'Equipe also said LFP members had voted on Friday to push back the start of next season by two weeks to 23 August, but that the decision would have to be confirmed by France's Football Federation (FFF).

The French Cup final between Paris St Germain and St Etienne has been scheduled for 27 June, according to the document, while the League Cup final between PSG and Olympique Lyonnais had been pencilled in for 11 July.

Christ, that's a disgrace forcing relegation-threatened squads to play every three days. I can imagine if something similar happens here you might see some teams who were nowhere near the drop zone before the virus absolutely plummeting down the table and going down after suffering a load of injuries from the crazy schedule of games.

 

[aazak]

A leading Italian health official says he does not see how Serie A, which has been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, could resume in the next few weeks.

Italy football federation (FIGC) head Gabriele Gravina said on Saturday he hoped teams could begin training in May - provided players tested negative for the coronavirus - with the first games possibly coming at the end of that month.

However, Giovanni Rezza, director of infectious diseases at the Italian National Institute of Health (ISS), disagreed.

"If I had to give a technical report, it would not be favourable," he told reporters.

"Football is a contact sport with a risk of transmission.

 

[duncs pigeon]

We know what will happen. The PL will re-start the season, play games behind closed doors, the rs will get their six points, Man Utd will move into the top four -then the PL will say ' we have made a mistake, we should not have restarted' . The following day they make a further announcement, that the league will not resume but all positions remain as they are, therefore the rs are named as champions.

 

[PaulPowersTash]

We know what will happen. The PL will re-start the season, play games behind closed doors, the rs will get their six points, Man Utd will move into the top four -then the PL will say ' we have made a mistake, we should not have restarted' . The following day they make a further announcement, that the league will not resume but all positions remain as they are, therefore the rs are named as champions.

And if and when that does happen (and I wouldn't bet against it) we know football is dead.
Killed by corporate greed. If it does happen, I for one will not be renewing my season ticket
and will probaly go and watch some local grass roots club.

 

[catcherintherye]

None of that matters when the 20 PL clubs sit down and vote on it, only the decide.

Obviously, at this moment they’re saying all the right things and looking to be doing everything they can to preserve the integrity of the competition.

In reality at least 15 clubs are sitting in that room and voting who will be absolutely delighted with null and void, some have even said so or indicated that in public already but they’ve now gone quiet as they swerve the negative publicity and let the process run its course.

In the next few weeks we’ll see that scenario voted through. Justified by saying all the right things again about giving it every chance but people’s health must come first, they’re position became untenable blah blah blah.

Then the planning for when and how we can start next season will start, that will be priority. They’ll be happy with the pro-rata TV money at worst for this season but they’ll want to get next years TV money in now, kits launched and on sale, the transfer wheel turning and new sponsorship deals activated etc.

This is a global crisis, they know their will be some sort of impact but this keeps it to a minimum. It also gives next season a chance, it gets new money coming in immediately and most of all, it keeps clubs like Villa, Norwich, West Ham, Brighton, Southampton, Bournemouth, Newcastle, Palace, Watford, all clubs who own 5% of the vote, feeding again from the Premier League trough for another year.

Turkeys aren’t going to be voting for Christmas in this, they’re too greedy.

The elephant in the room is the TV money. If this can be resolved thats the main hurdle. By being resolved, it may well be the lack of money is deferred too. For example if Sky agreed to hold back the money at the of the contract this may be enough. It may be that they get more games get shown over the next 2 years etc.

If that gets agreed, then 6 teams know if they hold tight, they get to stay in the league. For the league to be replayed they need to win every other team, in addition to 1 of that 6 put their club in enormous peril. They have delayed the crunch point for some time.

It may also be, they turn around and say they are not prepared to play every 3 days as well as their squads aren't big enough.

 

[Yarrgh]

Just been through those dates and they kind of make sense. If everything went right and the pandemic lock down didn't go on past the 2nd week of May. I can see the LFP's rationale for this. However, I don't think it's happening. Could see the next season starting a couple of weeks late though if they're lucky.

I just don't see how a stressed and overworked health service can be expected to provide its services to itself for something which is frankly irrelevant.

Stick a fork in this season, it's done.

 

[mahermi1]

See Graeme Sharp has put his two penneth in, saying he thinks the season should be null and voided.
We have had some great number 9's in our history, can't understand why Graeme, is not mentioned amongst them.

 

[Khalekan]

The elephant in the room is the TV money. If this can be resolved thats the main hurdle. By being resolved, it may well be the lack of money is deferred too. For example if Sky agreed to hold back the money at the of the contract this may be enough. It may be that they get more games get shown over the next 2 years etc.

If that gets agreed, then 6 teams know if they hold tight, they get to stay in the league. For the league to be replayed they need to win every other team, in addition to 1 of that 6 put their club in enormous peril. They have delayed the crunch point for some time.

It may also be, they turn around and say they are not prepared to play every 3 days as well as their squads aren't big enough.

I think the money is out of the equation now, catcher.

The PL and the TV companies are not going to war over the refunding of monies already paid.

They need each other too much to let owt upset the applecart that keeps them locked in their symbiotic relationship.

Extending the current TV deal by the length of time there is no football is the easiest and most sensible way to sort it out.

And it looks like that is what is happening behind the scenes if reports are to be believed.

Which is ominous news for the RS

 

[peteblue]

See Graeme Sharp has put his two penneth in, saying he thinks the season should be null and voided.
We have had some great number 9's in our history, can't understand why Graeme, is not mentioned amongst them.

Nice one Sharpy, that’ll wind them up......

 

[catcherintherye]

I think the money is out of the equation now, catcher.

The PL and the TV companies are not going to war over the refunding of monies already paid.

They need each other too much to let owt upset the applecart that keeps them locked in their symbiotic relationship.

Extending the current TV deal by the length of time there is no football is the easiest and most sensible way to sort it out.

And it looks like that is what is happening behind the scenes if reports are to be believed.

Which is ominous news for the RS

I think the money paid was already out of the question really. It's hard legally to get back whats been paid (possession 9 tenths of the law and all that).

My issue was always the last 1/4 of the money owed. If the PL can guarantee sky/bt 1/4 extra games over the next 2 years (potentially showing live broadcasts at 1500) and maybe an agreement in principle that they might be happy to knock x amount off the future rights deal with said companies if they bid that could clinch it.

What is leading to this, is they need payments in July (when the next instalment is due) so are trying to find a solution. The amount due in July is partly (or wholly) dependent on the new season starting. I think there is a pinch point where the focus starts to move to next season in trying to resolve the issues of this season. If next season starts to look dodgy, that payment starts to look ropey as well.

This is, as you say very bad news for Liverpool and wanting to re-start. The discussion before this, for them had always been that we needed to find a way to play games in order to gain that payment. If the discussions have moved forward to finding other ways to safeguard the funds, by essentially ensuring there is better coverage next season, next season becomes a real priority. They don't have much bargaining power left.

It seems to have gone quite quiet. The Sharp comments are interesting today as well.

 

[Darth Toffeeman]

I think the money is out of the equation now, catcher.

The PL and the TV companies are not going to war over the refunding of monies already paid.

They need each other too much to let owt upset the applecart that keeps them locked in their symbiotic relationship.

Extending the current TV deal by the length of time there is no football is the easiest and most sensible way to sort it out.

And it looks like that is what is happening behind the scenes if reports are to be believed.

Which is ominous news for the RS

Yep.

This, plus relaxing FFP boundaries and it is barely a bump in the road.

 

[Darth Toffeeman]

Nice one Sharpy, that’ll wind them up......

Doubt he would come out with that if he didn't think it was an inevitability.

The right and sensible thing to do.

 

[toffee82]

Can't prioritise testing players until there is a surplus of tests.

Also, if games did go ahead behind closed doors, how many thousand fans would gather outside?

 

[Minimeister]

The elephant in the room is the TV money. If this can be resolved thats the main hurdle. By being resolved, it may well be the lack of money is deferred too. For example if Sky agreed to hold back the money at the of the contract this may be enough. It may be that they get more games get shown over the next 2 years etc.

If that gets agreed, then 6 teams know if they hold tight, they get to stay in the league. For the league to be replayed they need to win every other team, in addition to 1 of that 6 put their club in enormous peril. They have delayed the crunch point for some time.

It may also be, they turn around and say they are not prepared to play every 3 days as well as their squads aren't big enough.

Might be repeating myself but to expect teams just to start playing every 3 days without any sort of pre-season is madness.

 

[Khalekan]

See Graeme Sharp has put his two penneth in, saying he thinks the season should be null and voided.
We have had some great number 9's in our history, can't understand why Graeme, is not mentioned amongst them.

Is he not?

His name is always to the fore when the topic is being discussed among my circle of friends


(FTR I always say he is the best number 9 I have seen in an Everton shirt )