Gary Neville has pitched his plan to help top flight football return to action, which has gained positive traction from supporters across the country.
His plans would see Premier League games played abroad for the first time in its history, with behind-closed-doors fixtures put in place in countries that haven’t been drastically affected by COVID-19.
Only on Friday did all 20 top flight clubs reiterate their intention to finish the season, a commitment made following France, Belgium and Holland’s decision to scrap their leagues altogether.
Here is a snippet of what Neville said on Sky Sports:
“If the Premier League were really serious about delivering the matches that remain in the most safe environment, they would move it to one of the two or three spots that are within three or four hours of this country that are coronavirus-free, or virtually coronavirus-free.
“They would take the Premier League over to that country — the players, the broadcasters, the media — and quarantine for a week before delivering it in an environment that has proven it can handle coronavirus.
“There are spots in Europe that have not got coronavirus at this time which could handle the League finishing. If they were serious about delivering it with a safe outcome, they could do that.”
These proposals are popular with some, but not with me.
I would personally rather see the Premier League scrapped than see it played on foreign shores, and by playing the final nine games abroad, it hardly makes the rest of the competition appear balanced and fair.
It would be a money grab, jeopardising players safety and bringing them away from their families – all in the name of monetary gain.
The German Bundesliga had plans to be up and running next weekend, but after three Cologne players tested positive for the virus, it now looks unlikely to do so – and I fear this will be a theme for anyone trying to make it happen in such unprecedented times.
A return to football this month would make it only a matter of time before somebody involved contracted the virus, whether it be a player, coach, referee, or a broadcaster.
Do we really want to risk the game going back to square one again?
