The Premier League has developed plans for isolated ‘World Cup-style’ camps to be introduced over June and July in order to complete the 2019/20 season, according to a report by the Independent.
Premier League clubs would be isolated in specific camps in the midlands and London, with games to be televised and played behind closed doors. The idea has reportedly been received well by the Premier League clubs who would have some financial concerns alleviated due to the competition following broadcasting and sponsorship contacts.
The ‘TV mega-event’ will feature all remaining 92 matches, with a handful of games being played everyday over the summer months. The independent also claims that every match will be available to watch.
In order for the plan to go ahead all club staff, players and coaches would be confined to separate hotels away from their families, similarly to international tournaments, with full testing and quarantine conditions being abided by.
The new structure will attempt to balance providing football for the nation and the current state of the COVID-19 spread. The ultimate aim is to reduce the risk of any person contracting the virus and so this is reportedly why a June/July timeframe is seen as more realistic.
The government is expected to support the plans if it can guarantee safety to everybody involved as resuming the nation’s most popular sporting event could help the population during the country’s lockdown phase.
Premier League’s new mega event will also limit the number of outside non-essential staff. With all officials, cameramen and outside broadcast crews being based in quarantine zones. It is hoped that the least amount of people that are involved in the structure results in a reduced chance of somebody contracting the virus.
There are concerns that the new structure could take some medical staff away from hospitals with one source close to the plans telling the Independent: “Hospitals will have much bigger concerns. The Premier League would almost have to have a private hospital blocked off.”
Nevertheless, the plans will not be put in motion until more details have been revealed over the severity of the coronavirus. With no official data available to guarantee how far the virus would have spread in June/July.
