14 May 2020 – It’s a dilemma that football league bosses around the world are facing.
And that’s whether they should somehow kick-start football behind closed doors in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic or simply cancel their respective seasons entirely.
In Europe, some countries have already made their decision while the pandemic rages across the continent. Two have opted for the cancellation route with the Eredivisie in Holland not declaring a league winner and Ligue 1 in France opting to crown Paris Saint Germain, who had a 12-point lead over Marseille, as champions.
But Italy’s Serie A, Spain’s La Liga and the most-watched league in the world, England’s Premier League, are putting plans in place to restart their season.
In England, that’s made certain fans who don’t support Liverpool, a little hot under the collar.
Let me just point out that I am a Liverpool fan. And yes, it’s been a long 30-year wait for the one trophy that fans of the Reds have craved. To have it taken away if the Premier League season is declared null and void would be a travesty of justice, especially when you factor in the massive 25-point lead that Liverpool have over second-placed Manchester City.
Opposition fans will say that Liverpool technically haven’t won the title (they need six more points to do so). But do they really believe that Jurgen Klopp’s men could be caught?
Of course, cheeky Scousers regularly remind those opposition fans that technically, Liverpool are the only team to qualify for a Champions League position next year. And yes, if you want to apply a “technicality” they are right.
Other rival fans have even suggested that the Football Associations should follow the course taken in 1939 at the outbreak of the Second World War when the English First Division was cancelled without leaders Blackpool named champions. What they conveniently forget to mention is the fact that Blackpool led by just one point after only THREE games had been played.
The current scenario is a little different, don’t you think?
Liverpool have dominated the 2019/20 season with 27 wins out of 29 league matches, with only a draw to Manchester United and a loss to Watford keeping them from a perfect season up to now.
Even if the season cannot go ahead due to Covid-19, they should be awarded the title.
And yes, while I might support Liverpool and have a vested interest in them winning a prize that has eluded them for 30 years, if the roles were reversed and the old enemy Manchester United led the league by 25 points, I would have suggested the same course of action.
So let’s see how it all turns out.
(source: News24)