The Premier League have, on Friday the 3rd of April, provided a fresh update on the postponement of the competition.
Football at a standstill
With the coronavirus wreaking havoc across the globe, the majority of football is currently either suspended or postponed as the world tries to slow the spread of the virus, which is said to have infected over a million people worldwide.
All of the major European leagues are currently suspended with Belarus, as of writing, the only European country where top-flight football is still taking place.
A number of high-profile footballers including Callum Hudson-Odoi, Paulo Dybala, Marouane Fellaini and Pepe Reina have all been diagnosed with the virus.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 23: A general view of the Nike Merlin matchball during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Watford FC at Old Trafford on February 23, 2020 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Premier League will not resume on April 30th
And now, as mentioned above, the Premier League has today offered a fresh update on the situation.
The English top-flight, along with the EFL, was originally suspended with the intention of returning on April 4th.
That date was then pushed back with the PL then stating it will not resume until April 30th at the earliest.
But people shouldn’t be expecting to see any English top-flight football at the beginning of May though, as in a statement put out on Friday, it was announced that in a meeting of Premier League Shareholders, It was acknowledged that the Premier League will not resume at the beginning of May – and that the 2019/20 season will only return when it is safe and appropriate to do so.
The same statement also confirmed the PL will ‘advance funds’ of £125 million to the EFL and National League whilst also committing £20m to support the NHS, communities, families and vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Furthermore, Premier League clubs are set to ask their players to take a 30 per cent wage cut:
Premier League clubs unanimously agreed to consult their players regarding a combination of conditional reductions and deferrals amounting to 30 per cent of total annual remuneration.
The Premier League’s overriding priority is to aid the health and wellbeing of the nation and our communities. The 2019/20 season will only return when it is safe and appropriate to do so.
Full statement: https://t.co/Tv9Leq4GGp#WeAreOneTeam pic.twitter.com/XPLQ7ls422
— Premier League (@premierleague) April 3, 2020
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