Players put spanner in EPL Restart works

LONDON • The Premier League's Project Restart may be delayed after meetings with players and managers exposed a lack of consensus.

Top-flight football in England is pencilled in to resume on June 12 but looks likely to kick off a week later due to issues over protocol for a safe return to play and concerns over the lack of match fitness, reported The Guardian.

The Premier League held conference calls with club captains, managers and medical experts on Wednesday, when several of them shared their views.

Many players have concerns about their safety and their families' well-being, while others are worried about being legally exposed if they contract the coronavirus after agreeing to abide by the protocol.

Mark Noble and Troy Deeney, captains of West Ham and Watford respectively, were reportedly critical of the resumption plan.

Brighton vice-captain Glenn Murray, who was also on the two-hour call, is concerned training and matches could start and then have to stop if players test positive.

"I just can't understand after just sort of loosening the lockdown why we're in such a rush to get it back," the striker told Sky Sports yesterday. "Why can't we just wait sort of a month to see if things go to plan?"

Managers are concerned current arrangements do not allow players to train without compromising their safety. Some bosses are also understood to have reservations about playing from mid-June. But Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho revealed yesterday that he was not one of them.

"I have not asked for any delay," he said. "I want to train, and I am desperate for the Premier League to return as soon as it is safe to, particularly now we are seeing other leagues preparing to return."

While the Bundesliga gets ready to restart tomorrow, Premier League clubs will only be presented the protocol for approval at a shareholders' meeting on Monday.

Protocol aside, the league still has to finalise where and how to play the remaining 92 fixtures.

The neutral ground plan, which was originally mooted in talks between Premier League stakeholders, has been criticised by several clubs, prompting a mooted switch back to home and away games.

Greater Manchester police chief Ian Hopkins has warned legislation could be the only way to stop fans gathering outside stadiums if the league restarts amid the pandemic.

"What we're fearful of is that people will turn up either at neutral grounds or at home grounds, and some of that could be particularly problematic," he said on Wednesday. "We've all got to get to a position where we feel it can be done safely without jeopardising people's health and that has to be the starting point for people.

"The next point then is what provisions can the clubs put in place to prevent people coming, and obviously we can use legislation where it's applicable to stop that as well."

The Premier League will have more time to iron out the details as European governing body Uefa has relaxed its May 25 deadline to member leagues to decide how to finish the season.

"Uefa would like as much as possible to receive such information by May 25," the governing body said in a statement. "But we understand that detailed plans might not be fully available by then due to a variety of external constraints."

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE