So much has been written, so much has been talked about, yet potentially an announcement within the last 24 hours will have the biggest ramifications of all.
The warning from FIFA’s chief doctor that football’s governing bodies should prepare for next season instead of restarting the interrupted 2019-20 campaign could prove to be the defining moment in this whole debate.
As it stands, European leagues have until May to tell UEFA whether they want to complete or cancel their seasons and the Premier League is working to a model that would see the 2019-20 campaign completed by the end of July.
Yet as every day goes by, as other footballing governing body declare their seasons null and void, so the chances of the Premier League doing the same increases.
We already know the Dutch top flight, the Eredivisie, has been abandoned because of the pandemic.
Now we have been told Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 seasons will not resume after France banned all sporting events, including behind closed doors, until September.
This comes despite the news that plans are in place to ease France’s coronavirus lockdown in just a fortnight’s time.
This despite the fact it had been hoped to resume the season in mid-June.
In England, it’s hoped the lockdown restrictions will ease next month. It’s also hoped the Premier League will resume in mid-June.
So, what’s the difference?
Well, the Premier League is desperate to complete the season and preserve its vast broadcast revenues.
Officials have earmarked July 27 as the end of the domestic campaign which would then lead into August when UEFA hopes to conclude 2019-20 European competitions (though will that include French clubs now out of action until September?) in a condensed 23-day period with the 2020-21 Premier League season earmarked for a late August/early September start.
This works back from the need to start the 2020-21 season to have any chance of future campaigns and competitions also remaining intact.
But is that realistic and would players want to be rushed back?
It’s reported some players feel their willingness to rush back is being taken for granted. The trust between clubs, governing bodies and players has also been severely tested in recent weeks following largely unresolved talks over salary cuts or deferrals.
That creates another issue with players like Spurs defender Jan Vertonghen, Chelsea midfielder Willian and Liverpool’s Adam Lallana out of contract this summer.
There are so many stumbling blocks.
The medical professionals will ultimately have the say and acclaimed journalist Henry Winter has no doubt what needs to be addressed when football resumes.
It’s hard to argue with any of this logic on a range of issues.
That is for another day though.
For now, the key question is should the Premier League continue to work on plans to return this summer or knock 2019-20 on the head?
Arguments abound on both sides.
Government officials have accepted that, while at this stage sport would only be able to take place behind closed doors, it may provide many people with a much-needed boost to morale after months of lockdown.
However, with mass gatherings likely to be banned into 2021, no fans will be present and the government will need to seek assurances from the Premier League that they will work to prevent supporters from congregating outside venues, especially at major moments in the season such as title presentations and promotion parties.
Furthermore, the issue of regular testing, and the availability and accuracy of coronavirus tests, remains the biggest uncertainty. With key workers only having just been given access to tests – and it still unclear whether supply can meet this demand – sport knows that it cannot be seen to jump the queue.
Players would have to carry out further health checks and additional social distancing could be observed up until the matches began, such as ensuring more than one changing room per team. There would be no pre-match handshake and there have been calls for a ban of celebrations where players get close to each other.
Top-flight clubs will meet on Friday to discuss options for the restart but are there now simply too many obstacles to make a restart worthwhile?
The league would lose some of its integrity if it is cancelled. Equally you can’t award titles, European team or relegate teams based on a system of whatever average point tallies sides may or may not be predicted to pick up in their remaining fixtures.
For now, we all watch with interest waiting for football to return and reflect on matches of days gone by, including my personal favourites.
Stay safe, stay positive.
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