Report: Premier League clubs discussed resuming season by mid-June
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Premier League clubs have identified a possible return date after the season was interrupted in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Resuming the 2019-20 campaign on the weekend of June 13-14 was debated by representatives from all 20 teams during Friday's meeting in response to UEFA's written appeal that all domestic leagues finish their seasons by July 31, according to the Guardian's Jamie Jackson and Pol Ballus.
It's understood any decision to return to action will be dependent on guidance from Britain's National Health Service (NHS) and that matches will almost certainly take place behind closed doors. Deaths in the United Kingdom related to COVID-19 have climbed to over 12,000 since the Premier League suspended play March 13.
With a condensed schedule, teams may need up to four weeks to get players back to fitness and the "best-case scenario" would see preseason take place beginning May 10 or 14, the Guardian adds.
Players returning to training are expected to undergo extensive testing after the Premier League develops a protocol in partnership with club doctors. They could also begin training individually or in small groups until its determined regular training is safe to resume.
Once play is officially set to start, those in attendance, including coaches, club staff, officials, security, and media, would also face extensive testing. Procedures would also need to be developed in order to respond to the possibility of large crowds of fans gathering outside of stadiums.
Restarting on June 13 gives the Premier League almost seven weeks to complete the season before July 31. Given that four teams have 10 matches left to play while the remaining 16 clubs have nine, there should be enough time to complete the campaign in the proposed time frame.
Premier League clubs agreed during Friday's meeting that completing the 2019-20 season is a top priority. They were reportedly expected to discuss concluding the campaign at the end of June, but now appear to be developing a plan that conforms with UEFA's request.
UEFA wrote to domestic associations requesting that seasons finish by the end of July so that the Champions League and Europa League can recommence on the week of Aug. 3.
European football's governing body will meet next week and will reportedly announce plans to push the Champions League final back to Aug. 29 after domestic seasons are finished. The Europa League final is expected to take place three days before.
Meanwhile, there is still no word on possible solutions to several issues that have emerged since the season was suspended. Uncertainty over player contracts is one of the major concerns among Premier League teams, as they face the risk of losing squad members whose deals expire on June 30 if the season resumes this summer.