There have been many ideas discussed as to how the current English Premier League season will end. Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, the 2019/20 Premier League campaign has been suspended and although a return date of the 30th of April has been issued, it is highly unlikely to be met given the circumstances.
Therefore, different ideas have been raised as to how the season could be finished. With the 2020 European Championships having been moved to next summer it has been suggested that the Premier League could be played throughout the summer, even until August if necessary, before beginning the following season in September.
Another possibility is that the season could be null and void if it failed to be completed by the end of June. With player and manager contracts coming to an end at that time, this would avoid a possibly difficult of time where players and managers would be playing for one club but contractually obliged to another.
Some think that the 2019/20 Premier League should be finished at all costs, even if it means the following season is scrapped entirely. That would mean this season could end up being played into next year which is highly unlikely to happen.
"I think we are all realising how much we need each other"@m8arteta's message after recovering from COVID-19 ➡️ https://t.co/BCW1oeNQPR pic.twitter.com/Y8whn45sRs— Premier League (@premierleague) March 29, 2020
"I think we are all realising how much we need each other"@m8arteta's message after recovering from COVID-19 ➡️ https://t.co/BCW1oeNQPR pic.twitter.com/Y8whn45sRs
However, the most recent suggestion of how the Premier League season could end involves teams playing games behind closed doors but live on television. All of the matches would take place at specified venues but the players would all be based in London and the Midlands so to avoid contact with anyone else. This is similar to how players live during tournaments such as the World Cup and European Championship. Players and staff always live together during these events whether it be in hotels or other facilities. Football clubs could hire venues in which to base their players and staff over the summer and then all travel on the same coach to play their matches. This would minimise contact with anyone in the outside world.
It would then be possible to stage several matches every day, many of which will be shown live on television. Played over the summer months, there will be matches on every day of the week and teams will have to be willing to play matches regularly in order to complete the season.
Living in this sort of environment will be nothing new to international players who have participated in the major tournaments but will they want to leave their families at this time?
The Premier League will also have to consider the other people involved in staging the matches in this way. The officials, cameramen, medics and commentators not just a small example of the people involved during a televised match and these will also have to be kept away their families and the general public while the season concluded in this manner.
While the resumption of the Premier League is far down the list of overall priorities right now, it would bring back a degree of normality to many people’s lives.