As Premier League clubs appear to be edging ever closer to a return to action, one player has suggested that football’s ‘new normal’ will take all of the emotion out of the game.
Crystal Palace striker, Christian Benteke, has also bemoaned the lack of joy that’s likely to be seen when goals are scored, because players will need to refrain from celebrating together.
“I didn’t think about it like that, but it’s definitely going to be different,” Benteke said when questioned about celebrations by Adrian Dunham on his talkSPORT Drivetime show.
“There will be no emotion and we’ll be like robots. It will take away beauty of scoring, because it’s not just about celebrating with the players, but it’s the fans too. It will be ruined.”
At this stage of ‘Project Restart,’ still some three to four weeks away from seeing a ball being kicked in earnest, the fact is that no one really knows what football is going to look like, certainly in the immediate future.
Given the full contact nature of the sport, however, it’s difficult to see how it can be played properly if players are still being asked to social distance.
With so much still to play for, for some teams, be that the chase for European spots or the hope of escaping the relegation dogfight, it’s a fair assumption that players of those teams will be giving everything they can to ensure the right results.
But at what cost?