Senior figures in English club football believe there is ‘no place for sport at the moment’, according to The Athletic.
‘The fact is they are not as important as a Tesco delivery driver at this time. We run a game. No more, no less.’
Plans to end the season would need the support of 14 of the 20 Premier League clubs and already all leagues below the National Football League North and South have already been called off, while the future of the Football League and National League are shrouded in uncertainty.
One high-ranking club official added: ‘It’s absolutely clear what is going to happen. It’s a worldwide pandemic.
Calls are reportedly growing among Premier League clubs to cancel the 2019-20 campaign
‘You just start (the Premier League season) again and there are very few losers. Liverpool, I know. But in the grand scheme of things, honestly, it really doesn’t matter. You’ve just got to start again.
‘This (COVID-19) is going to get worse here (in Britain), so it’s not about players returning to training. If we all stay at home and self-isolate for the next two, three months, we’re going to get through this quite simply.’
The officials adds: ‘We look like petulant, ridiculous children now. I passionately believe what we’re doing is wrong.’
He fears it won’t be feasible to play the final nine games of the league season, even in September, and believes the league campaign should end whatever the consequences, and a new one begun in the autumn.
ClaretandHugh says: Much of this of course makes so much sense. However, when stories like this appear it’s incredibly important to look at every single word and in the original Athletic report it was climbed the chairman made the decision to extend the season indefinitely. That is simply not the case with the Premier League itself making the decision based on conversations with Government. Everything we are hearing suggests that we are in this for the long haul anyway but our bet is that the PL will either delay a decision at the chairmens’ meeting in April or make a decision based on Government and World Health Organisation figures and forecasts. All the stuff about ego seems a bit odd to be honest. Everybody I speak to in the game, and no doubt you and me, are anxious about one thing only – seeing this thing pass. We remain in a wait and see phase at this moment. Should there be an improvement in the situation we all need to remember entertainment will become very important for everybody.