'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
After a three-month absence due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the English Premier League is all set to resume on June 17th.
Trending
Aston Villa vs Sheffield United and Manchester City vs Arsenal are the scheduled games on that date. This would ensure that all the Premier League teams are an equal footing come June 19th, which is slated to be the first full-fixture day in the competition since mid-March.
It is, of course, a huge piece of good news for football fans bereft of live-action and biding their time on TikTok and Instagram.
Is the Premier League slated for a seamless return to action?
However, the return of the Premier League comes with some big asterisks. These go beyond the glaring 'health concerns' that overshadow every decision of this magnitude in the world at the moment.
Troy Deeney, Watford's skipper, has publicly refused to return to play and called for announcing this season as void due to concerns over his young baby's health. Some sceptic people might look at it as a way for his club to avoid an imminent relegation.
However, the more reasonable analysis is that Deeney is (very rightfully indeed) concerned over his family since he is a human being after all who is not immune to COVID-19.
The Premier League's return should signify at least a potential return for the lower leagues as well, presumably following the German model, which has been successful so far and can be considered exemplary.
The challenges posed by the Premier League's return:
Liverpool are on the cusp of a first Premier League title.
The problem in this regard is the UK government's rather callous approach to the pandemic situation. Many fans remain sceptical about the Premier League's safe and smooth return to action, without endangering the health of anyone.
Government officials that include Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, have been hit by COVID-19. The execution of social distancing measures across the country and the response to the testing issues that have cropped up can best be described as 'shambolic'.
Probably, the closest example of how stubborn the UK government was in taking precautions against the pandemic came in the aftermath of the Champions League last 16 clash between Liverpool and Atletico Madrid at Anfield.
About a week before that match, it came out that 41 Liverpool supporters who attended the live game tested positive for COVID-19. The backlash was significant. There were accusations about the authorities in the UK being slow to react while Italy, France and Spain had shut down crowd presence at sports venues.
In addition, cases amongst football players from lower leagues were coming out on a near regular basis. Elliott Bennett, Blackburn Rovers' captain, and two Fulham players tested positive for the virus as recently as Thursday, May 28th.
Even putting aside any concerns over the 'health protocols', there are still some scheduling issues. A lot of questions hang over whether games would be played at their normal venues or at neutral venues. Moreover, there is also the remainder of the FA Cup for some clubs.
There is also a big question about Manchester City. If their Champions League ban goes through and they are denied European football for the next two seasons, would the club be motivated enough to produce a strong end to a rather disappointing season?
Furthermore, how would promotion and relegation be decided if the Championship gets halted and does not return in the near future? Add to that the health risks to players and officials of travelling teams in lieu of the COVID-19 situation.
All the factors described above seems that the restart of the Premier League could be a potential recipe for disaster. During these unprecedented times, to ensure that the season ends like other seasons, the FA and the EFL would have to work in close coordination and be ready for contingency measures should the need so arise.
Would the Premier League's restart be a successful one?
If the Premier League's "Project Restart" does go through smoothly like the Bundesliga, then it's all good as we really need football and life, in general, to return to normalcy.
However, the return of the Premier League is intrinsically linked with effective management of the situation by the authorities in the wake of the COVID-19 situation. Of course, there is also a level of willingness needed from the players and staff at various clubs to get their minds on playing football again.
The return of the competition should not appear as a decision made in haste to recover some of the huge financial losses suffered by clubs and the Premier League due to the three-month absence of action.
At the end of the day, the health and well-being of players, officials and all stakeholders in the game should be of paramount importance over and above anything else because there are human lives at stake. In other words, we would welcome the return of the Premier League as long as the health of players, officials and all other stakeholders in the game are not compromised.
