Premier League return: Play can renew June 1 at the back of closed doors, says U.K. government

The Premier League looks set to go back in June after the UK’s government gave the green light on Monday. Play could start June 1 in empty stadiums because of the coronavirus pandemic’s still consistent threat. U.K. prime minister Boris Johnson announced Monday that the government had a strategy to start opening up the country, and that included “permitting cultural and sporting events to take place at the back of closed-doors for broadcast, while avoiding the risk of large-scale social contact,” according to ESPN.

Premier League clubs are assembly on Monday to talk about their restart plans and other issues like player contracts, with some set to run out before the season likely concludes, according to Reuters.

Lockdown measures would be eased in the coming weeks, allowing the league to renew after being suspended since March 13. More than 200,000 people in the U.K. have tested positive for COVID-19, including Johnson, who tested positive final month. 

The league’s 20 teams are now set to vote on if play must renew, while the third and fourth divisions will reportedly have their seasons axed. Premier League club Brighton announced this weekend that a third player had tested positive for COVID-19.

The Premier League has 92 games remaining to total the season. The league used to be to begin with aiming to go back by June 8, with the potential of matches taking place at more than a few impartial venues.  This new timeline could see them renew potentially a week earlier, with Liverpool on the point of winning its first league title in 30 years. 

Whether the Premier League returns, it will be the second major European league to take action. The Bundesliga officially returns this Saturday. France’s Ligue 1 had its season canceled after the country banned sporting events until September, while La Liga in Spain and Serie A in Italy remain hopeful to begin play sometime next month with La Liga expected to renew from mid-to-late June.

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