A video conference was held by the Football Association (FA), English Premier League (EPL), English Football League (EFL) and women’s professional game bodies, along with players and managers’ associations to address the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic to sports entertainment.
The elite football groups announced their mutual agreement to stretch the confirmed end date of their 2019/2020 season. It is an attempt to finish their campaign despite the shutdown.
‘We have collectively agreed that the professional game in England will be further postponed until no earlier than April 30’, they stated last March 19.
The organisations also released a joint statement after the conference that read as follows:
‘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’.
Football is currently in a state of total shutdown in England.
All elite football matches in England that include the EPL, the EFL, and the Women’s Super League were shut down last week until April 4. Subsequently, youth and amateur football followed suit in suspending their matches.
Check out the latest EPL odds at Moneyball
On March 17, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) also came to an agreement to postpone Euro 2020 for a year. This will clear up some space in the calendar to finish domestic competition if public health authorities deem it safe.
‘The progress of Covid-19 remains unclear and we can reassure everyone the health and welfare of players, staff and supporters are our priority’, the organisations promised in their statement. ‘We will continue to follow government advice and work collaboratively to keep the situation under review and explore all options available to find ways of resuming the season when the conditions allow’.
Bournemouth captain Simon Francis reacted to the news, saying, ‘I think we all saw that coming, April 4 seemed far too early … It’s become a waiting game to see if we have to push it back again’.
‘We have to give ourselves the best chance to prove that we can stay in the Premier League’, the 33-year-old defender added. ‘I would hope it’s more of an option than ending the season and teams get promoted or relegated’.