[ad_1]
Premier League clubs are facing a player revolt over the plan to restart the season.
It is understood that several foreign stars have reached out to their individual governments for advice on whether it will be safe for them to return to action on June 12.
Others have made it clear to officers that they feel they are being put under unbearable pressure to save the game from financial collapse by risking being infected with the coronavirus.
Premier League clubs face losing an estimated £ 1.3 billion in television revenue, cash sponsorship, and entry receipts if the season is canceled.
But many players believe that they are asked to play with their own health and the well-being of their families.
The news that three people at the Cologne Bundesliga club tested positive for the virus after the first-team team and backroom staff returned to training increased the fear factor.
The clubs will face the task of persuading their stars to end the season over the course of the next month.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
The Netherlands and France have chosen to cancel their campaigns in an attempt to avoid further spikes in infection rates.
And that has led several players to ask their own governments for guidance instead of relying on information from the Premier League, their individual clubs and Westminster.
A source close to a foreign player said: “There is so much conflicting information at the moment that no one knows what to believe.
“Some players have returned to their homes for guidance, to their own governments.
“More have told their agents that they are concerned about playing too soon.”
Dutch chief agent Rob Jansen tells the same story.
Jansen, who is the president of EFAA, the union that represents agents and intermediaries across Europe, said: “I tell you what the most interesting question will be: Can clubs compel their players to play soccer in these circumstances?
(Image: Getty Images)
“I can understand everyone who is trying to create plans and ideas to end the season.
But can you try to isolate entire teams and staff from football clubs in hotels?
“You only need an infected person, even a waiter or a hotel staff member, and all competition can be destroyed again.
“I really understand the financial pressure for the clubs (in England), but it is very difficult for me to see the execution of all their ideas and plans. There are too many practical problems. “
It was the Dutch government’s decision to ban all mass gatherings until September that prompted the country’s FA to cancel the season with defending champions Ajax leading the table in the goal difference.
Paris St Germain has been confirmed as champion in France under existing league rules.
The Premier League is determined to end the campaign, and have the backing of the government to follow through on its plans.
That plan includes playing behind closed doors between eight and 10 “neural” stadiums across the country.
We are testing a new site:
This content will arrive soon
Players, coaches and staff should also undergo regular testing to ensure they are free of infection.
And it is possible that squadrons will be quarantined in hotels between games.
The clubs are eager to avoid having to return more than £ 750 million in issued money.
And Jansen claims that a Premier League president has asked his players to accept a 70 percent pay cut to ease the financial burden.
He added: “The pressure due to financial situations is increasing, and England is a great example.”
“The cuts in wages vary between 20 and 30 percent.
“I know of an English club where they insist that players receive a 70 percent cut.
“There is a promise that they will compensate the players at a later date.”
[ad_2]
