Ahead of a return to Premier League action, the news that clubs may have to play behind closed doors will surely have put a dampener on things.
With the coronavirus pandemic still prevalent, the advice that the authorities have received is that things are unlikely to change for between 6-12 months.
“It’s very clear the public and social health situation is not going to change in the next six to 12 months,” Premier League medical chief, Mark Gillett, warned, according to The Sun.
“It is important that people understand that they will have to see these cultural changes.”
At present, English top-flight clubs are working towards a potential re-start date of either June 12 or June 19, which puts them about a month behind their Bundesliga counterparts who completed their first round of rearranged fixtures this weekend.
Though the lack of atmosphere in the stadiums in Germany gave proceedings an eerie backdrop, it was good to see football back at the elite level after so long, and if the protocols continue to be followed there’s no reason why the Bundesliga can’t be the barometer for the other European leagues.
Once the Premier League begins again, Liverpool will need just two wins to confirm their first English top-flight title in 30 years.
Thereafter, the immediate future for everyone needs to be assessed, in order for clubs to more fully understand how their revenue will be affected without paying customers coming through the turnstiles potentially until the start of the 2021/22 campaign.