The end of the sport drought is (hopefully) nigh !
May 05, 2020
Football is set to return on Friday with K-League in South Korea to start their 2020 season behind closed doors, it is not one of "our" leagues but very welcome news nonetheless. Fewer than 10 coronavirus cases per day are being confirmed in SK and they are further confident that fans will be allowed into stadiums very shortly. They have led the world in testing for the virus and every KL player and match official has been tested for COVID-19 and all were negative. Several television companies in Europe, plus the US and Australia are looking to cover games.
In Germany it looks like we will know tomorrow if the Bundesliga will be allowed to restart this month, players and staff are still being infected with the virus, so it is day by day at present, I wrote something yesterday about the situation in both Germany and France and the different routes each had taken, some of that you have already seen but it fits in with today's notes, however, the three news cases amongst Bundesliga employees are now 10 instead of three...................
We have seen football leagues across Europe in two minds about whether to complete the 2019-20 season(s) or to cancel them and prepare for 20-21. Most are looking at ways to finish what they started and I am firmly in that camp and to my way of thinking, it compromises the integrity of the competition to do otherwise and there is no guarantee that next season will not be similarly disrupted at some stage.
The only "Big 5" league to be abandoned so far is in France, with Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 now ended and the French League (LFP) "deciding" on winners and losers based on the current league tables, which had 10 + games remaining.
This has opened them up to legal action from clubs unhappy with the decision and how would you feel if your team were a single point off an automatic promotion place with 30 points still up for grabs , but denied the opportunity to reach the promised land of top flight football and the financial boost which comes with it ? Money which could secure the immediate future of your club in these troubled times. I wrote a little about this on the clubgowi website : France: no football, but all set to kick off !
As much as we like to think differently, it does so often come down to money and football is going to struggle financially if the television companies withhold payments for uncompleted fixtures, as per their contracts. This has helped concentrate minds in the other four big leagues and each is trying to come up with a solution, without unnecessarily putting lives at risk. Germany are furthest down the line with this and by Wednesday they should have a confirmed restart date, this despite FC Köln announcing that three people (two players) at the club tested positive for the virus late last week. That seemed likely to derail the planned resumption , but now appears not to be the case and yesterday Köln announced plans for their “quarantine-like” training camp to begin as soon as government officials give the go-ahead for games to resume.
Bayer Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes said on Saturday that he was confident football would return in May and Bayern Munich president Herbert Hainer also advocated the resumption of play : “Of course, the economic substance of many clubs is important, that’s why it’s vital that we can come back and play football again. The fact is, if we don’t play, it will cease to remain the league it is today.”
German football is not healthy financially with many clubs on the brink of bankruptcy, the decision about a resumption is not in their own hands, but all know they need to play if at all possible and the government is aware of that, also the boost that the return of sport will give the nation, with a sense of normality returning . Ten days ago I wrote: Will football in Germany return on May 9th and can it afford not to ? May 9th is a no go now I assume, but the argument is still valid and the 16th or 23rd are realistic options.
The ten "positive" cases in Germany are from 1,724 tests , FC Köln have not had any further infections and said yesterday in an official statement : "only players who have been tested negatively twice in succession are allowed to train and play".
In China they are doing things a little differently and a decision is expected to be made this week about Super League based on what they call the 3 No's basis, that is NO empty stadiums, NO extending into 2021 and NO reduced season (30 games or nothing). They do have weather issues for later in the year, as after November it is usually far too cold in the north to play football.
All things considered, it feels like a big week ahead for football.
Stay safe and good luck !
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