LONDON • Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan believes runaway leaders Liverpool should be awarded the Premier League trophy if the season cannot be completed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The German international told broadcaster ZDF: "For me, that would be okay, yes. You have to be fair as a sportsperson."
He said the Reds deserved to be champions given their massive 25-point lead over second-placed City (57), leaving them just two wins away from their first English title in 30 years.
The 29-year-old also admitted he did not envy English football authorities should the difficult decision be made to pull the plug on the campaign, given how intense the top-four race and also the tough battle to escape the drop had been.
"There are different opinions. For clubs who have had a very good season, it obviously wouldn't be nice if it was cancelled now," he said.
"On the other hand, for clubs who aren't doing as well and are maybe in the relegation places, an abandonment would obviously suit them."
The Premier League season has been suspended until April 30, but it is looking increasingly likely that the date may have to be pushed back further, with officials set to make a decision at a meeting on Friday.
On how long the top flight can keep pushing back its restart date, Tottenham striker Harry Kane feels that "there will come a point where enough's enough".
Uefa has not ruled out extending the season into the next term, but in an Instagram Live video chat with pundit Jamie Redknapp, the England captain does not "see too much benefit in that".
"I know the league will do everything they can to finish the season and they are looking at every option possible," Kane said.
"Probably the limit for me is the end of June. If the season's not completed by then, we need to look at the options and just look forward to next season."
With professional football at a near standstill across the world, the likes of Bayern Munich, Juventus and Barcelona are struggling to deal with the impact of the Covid-19 disease.
Match-day revenue is a critical component of every club's income stream and with no games being played, many clubs have implemented temporary wage cuts to stay solvent.
While Premier League clubs are not facing the same financial pressure as some of their European counterparts, they will have to reassess the issue should the suspension continue for several more months.
Gundogan is also open to sacrificing part of his salary if it means non-playing staff can be paid, but he also understood that there may be opposition from other players.
"Of course, it's okay, (but) there's been no discussion in England yet," he said.
"Perhaps that's because the English clubs are a bit financially stronger than the clubs in Germany at the moment.
"For me personally, it would be okay but, to be honest, you have to be tolerant and if there are players who are against that, then that's also an acceptable situation."
The United Kingdom has the fifth highest number of coronavirus infections in Europe with over 19,000 cases and more than 1,200 deaths as of yesterday.
REUTERS, THE GUARDIAN
