By Adedapo Adesanya
The English Premier League (EPL) could resume behind closed doors from next month (June) after the United Kingdom government set out a road map to emerge from coronavirus lockdown measures on Monday.
In a 50-page document titled Our Plan to Rebuild: The UK Government’s COVID-19 Recovery Strategy released by the Prime Minister, Mr Boris Johnson, it was stated that government will permit cultural and sporting events to take place behind closed doors for broadcast, “while avoiding the risk of large-scale social contact.”
This also involves if a number of conditions relating to limiting the spread of the virus can be met.
Football will only be allowed to return if the governing bodies can set out a pathway that satisfies ministers and health professionals.
Reports in England say a meeting has been scheduled for today to set out plans and procedures. If the guidelines can be met, there could be return to league actions from the second week of June.
The English top division has been suspended since March 13 and there is, as yet, no consensus surrounding how the 2019-20 season will start again.
There are still 92 Premier League fixtures to be played before the end of the season, with clubs now back in training at their grounds while observing the government’s social distancing guidelines.
So far, clubs are split about the prospect of the Premier League returning, with a majority of 14 votes from the division’s 20 teams required to pass any decision.
In recent times, clubs have made their intentions known that they want to complete the league.
England’s top division and other leagues around Europe have until May 25 to outline to UEFA their detailed plans to start football matches again.
Business Post had reported that the German Bundesliga will become Europe’s first major football league to resume during the coronavirus pandemic when it starts again this weekend.
Meanwhile, the Dutch Eredivisie cancelled the entire 2019/2020 season and in France, the French football league governing body announced Paris Saint Germain (PSG) as the season’s winner.