Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger insists the Premier League MUST find a way to finish the 2019/20 season despite the coronavirus crisis.
An emergency board meeting will be held via conference call on Thursday to discuss the future of the current campaign, which has been suspended until April 4 at the earliest.
Clubs are expected to reiterate their commitment to concluding the 2019/20 season, in order to protect the integrity of the competition.
However, the coronavirus pandemic is expected to impact football well beyond April 4, with the government essentially banning sport by advising against mass gatherings.
The postponement of the European Championship from this summer to 2021 has opened up a window for domestic campaigns to be completed by June 30, which is UEFA’s current objective.
That could mean playing fixtures behind closed doors – and Wenger, the Chief of Global Football Development at FIFA, insists the Premier League must do whatever it takes to get the campaign finished.
“I believe the priority for the Premier League is to finish the season,” the Gunners legend told Jim White on talkSPORT. “That could mean pushing fixtures back until the end of June, but they have to do that.”
Any other solution would surely result in logistical chaos for the Premier League, with questions over the determination of the title, European qualification, and relegation.
Nonetheless, FA chairman Greg Clarke has expressed concern over whether the season can feasibly be completed, while West Ham chief Karren Brady has insisted the campaign should be declared ‘null and void’.
Wenger, the Frenchman, understands that football is the least of everyone’s concerns right now in the grand scheme of things.
The situation in France is worse than here in the UK, with more than 7,500 people infected with coronavirus and 175 dead as a result of the pandemic.
Police are fining people who step outside without good reason – and Wenger, 70, admits adapting to life in isolation has been difficult.
“It’s a new way of life for everybody and we have to adapt,” he added. “In France, it was a bit earlier than England, so we have to live isolated, with no more than five to ten contacts per day. That’s not easy.
“We thought football was the main priority in our lives, but we discover now that there are much more important things.”
Listen to Arsene Wenger’s interview with talkSPORT, in full, above…
