THE Premier League faces an ENTIRE season being played behind closed doors and huge financial losses unless a vaccine for coronavirus is created.
Sporting authorities are considering playing all football in England’s top-four leagues in front of empty stadiums until May 2021.
Senior officials hope to reopen grounds in December, but everything on depends on Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision over mass gatherings.
Should Johnson take a tough approach to events such as football matches, music festivals and concerts, it is unlikely they can go ahead without a vaccine available.
The secretary general of Fifpro – the international footballers’ union – Jonas Baer-Hoffman, said: “In terms of fans being back inside stadiums that might likely not be possible until people are vaccinated.
“So it may well be that we play a full season without spectators.”
Mass gatherings have come under scrutiny in recent weeks, with many suggesting they were to blame for the spread of coronavirus.
Cheltenham Festival controversially went ahead in March, while Liverpool welcomed Atletico Madrid to Anfield with the Spanish capital gripped by the killer bug.
That Champions League game is now set to be investigated.
£1BN LOSSES
Football bosses are now scrambling for ideas, with an entire season behind closed doors set to hit them in the pockets hard.
Across the top-four leagues in England, it’s estimated clubs would lose around £1BILLION.
Manchester United alone rake in £111million per season from match day income, such as ticket sales.
Despite that, Premier League clubs are likely to survive, as they make a huge proportion of their money from TV rights.
It is clubs in the lower leagues, such as in Leagues One and Two, who depend on ticket sales and other match day income.
In fact, it’s estimated clubs in the lower divisions make around 40 per cent of their money from fans purchasing tickets.
That in turn could see some clubs forced to slash wages or even force them players to go part-time.
Now football bosses are considering new ways to keep fans engaged should the season be played behind-closed-doors – including cardboard cut-outs and digital viewing parties.
Meanwhile, the League Cup could be axed next term to accommodate a 23-team Premier League season.
