Coronavirus could delay start of next English soccer season

English football will not resume before May at the earliest as the season has been extended “indefinitely”.

The gates are locked at Premier League club Bournemouth, with the English season now postponed until at least April 30. Picture: Getty Images

English football will not resume before May at the earliest as the season has been extended “indefinitely” so that domestic competitions can be completed, raising the prospect of a delay to the start of the 2020-21 campaign.

After a teleconference meeting of top-flight clubs on Thursday night (AEDT), the Premier League, Football Association and English Football League made a joint announcement that the shutdown of men’s and women’s professional football has been extended from April 3 to April 30 in response to the escalating coronavirus pandemic.

Significantly, the FA’s usual limit of June 1 for the end of the season has been extended to allow the domestic competitions to be finished.

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It is understood that the Premier League clubs discussed a “curtailment” of the season, raising the possibility of some kind of playoff system to decide key positions in the final table. That is regarded as a last resort rather than the season being declared null and void, as had been proposed by Karen Brady, the West Ham United vice-chairman.

A curtailment of the season, rather than cancelling it, would also reduce the risk of broadcasters refusing to pay for the full season. As revealed by The Times, about £750m ($1.49 billion) in broadcast revenue – an average of £37.5m per club – is likely to be lost if the remaining matches are not completed.

The possibility that some matches may be cancelled or played behind closed doors was mentioned in a statement by Manchester United about their matchday staff.

“Manchester United has confirmed that it will pay all its loyal matchday and non-matchday casual workers should Premier League games be cancelled or played behind closed doors for the remainder of this season,” the club said.

The April 30 shutdown date means that it will be a struggle for a club such as Manchester City, who could have as many as 17 domestic and European matches to play, to finish the season before the end of June. Many observers think that restarting at the beginning of May is hugely optimistic.

Some clubs believe that if next season is delayed, the Carabao Cup should become an under-23 tournament for top-flight teams and that all replays for the FA Cup should be suspended to ease fixture congestion, as the season will have to be completed in time for the rescheduled European Championship finals to take place in June 2021.

The joint statement, including from the women’s professional game, the Professional Footballers’ Association and League Managers Association, said: “We are united in our commitment to finding ways of resuming the 2019-20 football season and ensuring all domestic and European club league and cup matches are played as soon as it is safe and possible to do so.”

The Premier League’s calendar for completing this season and for next season will also depend to a large extent on what happens with the European club competitions. Bill Bush, the Premier League’s executive director, is representing the European Leagues on a new working group, also involving UEFA and the European Clubs’ Association, looking at the calendar.

One insider said: “The group has to work through all the implications of the 2020-21 season and beyond across Europe. The Premier League is involved in this group so it can’t make decisions without considering UEFA’s club competitions.”

Theo Theodoridis, UEFA’s general secretary, and Giorgio Marchetti, the director of competitions, are also part of the group.

One issue in extending the season beyond June 30 is that many player contracts end then, but FIFA has established its own working group to look at temporary amendments and dispensations on player contracts to allow short-term extensions.

The prospect of playing behind closed doors has been talked about by clubs, including at neutral venues, but this was not discussed at the Premier League meeting. More immediate problems were debated, including contact between players and the closure of some training facilities.

Liverpool are allowing players undergoing rehabilitation from injuries to re-enter the training ground at staggered intervals to minimise the contact they have with each other. Melwood, the club’s training ground, was voluntarily closed after the full squad trained for the last time on Friday last week.

Tottenham Hotspur, however, are continuing to train as normal, despite the league shutting down.

THE TIMES