[ad_1]
Today was supposed to be the day when the fate of the Premier League season was finally decided during a summit of all 20 clubs.
A vote on Project Restart was scheduled to take place, with top-flight officials hoping to receive 14 positive responses in order to press ahead with their ambitious plans for Project Restart.
But while the plan remains to resume the campaign on June 12, with stars and essential staff being tested for coronavirus twice a week and games played behind closed doors at neutral venues, the crucial vote has been pushed back.
The decision to delay the vote stems from the government scheduling Boris Johnson’s address to the nation on Sunday night – less than 24 hours before Monday’s meeting – and a desire to get all clubs on board with the plans.
At present, the Premier League’s bottom six remain opposed to completing the season at neutral venues with the threat of relegation hanging over them.
There are also issues over player safety, broadcasting games and extending stars’ contracts to decide before clubs get a final say on the proposals.
The Premier League now faces eight days of crunch talks, with the decisive vote potentially taking place on May 18. Here, Sportsmail takes a closer look at the major issues being discussed this week.
TODAY (MONDAY, MAY 11)
Although there will not be a vote on Project Restart today, all 20 clubs will still speak via videolink to discuss many of the key issues yet to be decided.
The use of neutral venues is likely to be top of the agenda, with Brighton, Aston Villa and Watford having publicly admitted that they oppose the plans.
It is understood that the entire bottom six are concerned about losing home advantage in the midst of a relegation battle, while The Telegraph claim that two clubs from ‘significantly higher’ in the table also disagree with the idea.
Another huge issue is the safety of players and the staff involved in putting on games, given social distancing guidelines remain in place in the UK.
Medical protocols and the testing of stars and essential staff will be discussed, with the Premier League planning to foot a bill of up to £ 4million for tests.
One vote which will take place today is on the decision to extend the contracts of players whose current deals expire on June 30.
The idea is that players including the likes of Chelsea winger Willian and Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen would have their contracts extended until a day after the end of the rescheduled season.
Clubs will also vote on opening a mini-window in the last week of June when they are permitted to approach out of contract players to sign for next season.
Also on the agenda will be the way in which broadcasters deliver the remaining 92 games, with talks ongoing about showing every fixture live – with at least some for free – to give a football-starved nation a boost.
TUESDAY, MAY 12
The Premier League will speak to the captains of every Premier League club, plus senior players and PFA representatives, about the health and safety measures being put in place.
A number of players, including Sergio Aguero and Antonio Rudiger, have expressed their fears about returning to action while the coronavirus continues to kill thousands of people around the world.
The Premier League plan on testing players and essential staff twice a week, while special rules for training, disinfected equipment and a spitting ban are among the ideas being considered for football’s return.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 13
On Wednesday, there is likely to be a meeting between the Premier League, the Professional Footballers ‘Association (PFA) and the League Managers’ Association (LMA).
The talks will be used to discuss the response of players and managers to Project Restart ahead of a potential return to training in small groups next week.
Players have been urged to share their views with their PFA representative via WhatsApp, with all opinions being fed back to officials.
THURSDAY, MAY 14
The Premier League and the EFL will meet with government and police officials to discuss how a return to action can be carried out safely.
Prime minister Boris Johnson is expected to give professional sport the green light to return next month later today, having begun to ease lockdown restrictions during his address to the nation on Sunday evening.
The use of neutral venues for the remaining 92 top-flight fixtures will be key to these discussions, with the government and police both keen on the idea in order to stop fans congregating outside.
MONDAY, MAY 18
The defining vote on whether to summarize the season is pencilled in for a week today, with officials needing 14 positive responses to put Project Restart into action.
The biggest battle the league face is to convince the bottom six that completing the season at neutral venues is in their best interests as they look to stick to the usual rules regarding relegation and promotion from the Championship.
Last week Sportsmail revealed that the bottom three – Norwich, Aston Villa and Bournemouth – have been warned that relegation could be imposed on them if they continue to obstruct the plans.
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
[ad_2]
