ASTON VILLA chief Jesus Garcia Pitarch claims most Premier League clubs want to scrap relegation if the season does not finish.
Top-flight clubs are set to meet on Thursday to discuss emergency measures as the Coronavirus crisis continues.
Read our Coronavirus in Sport live blog for the latest news, updates and cancellations
Prem games are off until April 4 — but Garcia Pitarch says clubs do not expect to play again before JUNE 30.
Villa’s sporting director, whose team are in the drop zone, said: “The most reasonable thing that everyone thinks is that, if the league has to be stopped, that there is no relegation.
“There is a certain consensus that there should be no teams going down.
“There are clubs that do not see it as acceptable that the competition resumes on June 30.”
Villa, who are 19th in the table and two points from safety, would be heading for the Championship if the season was decided on current standings.
Spaniard Garcia Pitarch added: “We have played one less game and it would not be fair.
“The biggest discussion is whether to determine the European positions by using the previous season as reference or this season as it stands.
“The logical thing is that, with a 25-point advantage, the title would be given to Liverpool, but this is a personal opinion.”
West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady revealed in her SunSport column that she believes this season may have to be declared “null and void” — denying Liverpool their league crown for 30 years.
It would also mean that relegation scrappers like West Ham and Villa would be guaranteed another season in the top flight.
Promoted sides Villa, Norwich and Sheffield United were set to earn around £170million from this campaign.
But clubs fear a shortfall if it does not finish, although survival would land promoted teams another £120m for another season.
It would take a majority of 14 clubs to impose any rule changes, with the Premier League a private company owned by its 20 member clubs.
Garcia Pitarch, who worked at Atletico Madrid and Valencia, added: “We must think about what is going to happen next season.
“We have a very short-term date, a meeting this Thursday in which we will know where we are and what happens.
“But with so many economic interests in the Premier League, it must still be recognised in a competition that generates a lot of money, I think it will not be able to end.
“At Aston Villa we’re starting to think about a worst-case scenario. If the peak of coronavirus is to occur in May, no one thinks of a competition in which players, coaches, health workers of the club will continue to appear every day.”
However, Villa released a statement last night, incredibly distancing themselves from the comments of their sporting director, who oversees recruitment.
It read: “Now is not the time to be speculating about the future arrangements for Premier League football this season.
“The views attributed to Mr Garcia Pitarch are not those of Villa.”
