Are the new UEFA season-ending guidelines set to work in Arsenal’s favour?

So, as the pandemic crisis continues unabated, Football’s governing bodies are still trying to work out the best ways for each country to settle its League schedules so that they can plan for next season’s European fixtures.

They have set out the new UEFA Guidelines for completing the season by 8th August, and the Daily “Upshot” newsletter has given us this summary of how things could pan out….

UEFA have set a deadline of 8th August for all European leagues to finish.

They’ve also set out how the season should finish depending on when it restarts:

  • Start in June: squeeze in all remaining fixtures and finish season as normal.
  • July: cancel most fixtures but settle key league spots (Euro qualifiers and relegation spots) with playoffs.
  • August or later: decide final table on “sporting merit” – probably by ranking teams on points per game.

It looks like there’s no suggestion of voiding the season.

Under a points per game system, the current bottom three of Norwich, Villa and Bournemouth would all go down.

But it would mean Tottenham, Arsenal and Wolves all miss out on European football.

Read more here….

Actually that last statement is not quite true, because if Man City’s ban is upheld, Arsenal would leapfrog Tottenham into the last Europa League position on the Points-per-game system, as clearly explained in this post from Tony at Untold Arsenal.

If the Leagues are not completed in time, UEFA continually mention that the final positions should be decided on “sporting merit”, especially for deciding final placings. UEFA said: If a domestic competition is prematurely terminated for legitimate reasons in accordance with the above conditions, UEFA would require the National Association concerned to select clubs for the UEFA club competitions 2020/21 based on sporting merit in the 2019/20 domestic competitions:

That makes it sound like the above points-per-game system look to be the fairest. And if Arsenal can sneak in via the last Europa postion, I’ll be happy with that!

20 Comments

  1. Totally disagree with you PAT, that UEFA have made no suggestion of voiding the season, because it it clearly implicit in their statement. By setting an August 8th deadline for all European leagues to finish, THAT is exactly what they HAVE done.
    It is irresponsible to keep propagating this myth that somehow this season can complete its fixtures and you and others should NOT do it. It is 100% certain this season cannot possibly complete its fixtures and the RESPONSIBLE thing to be done by all involved now is to end the season with points average per game played counting as final positions. This would place Arsenal 8th, just above Spuds, and would mean a UEFA place, PROVIDED the City ban is not overturned.
    But even this is conjecture, because the whole of the supposed next season cannot possibly be a normal length one, if it even happens at all. Why others stubbornly refuse to see this reality appals me! Perhaps this is just one prime example why I always call myself a realist. Because I AM!

    1. FOR FURTHER CLARITY EVEN IF FINAL POSITIONS ARE COUNTED AS OF CURRENT POINTS PER GAME AVERAGE, THE SEASON WILL STILL BE VOIDED BY THE FACT THAT NO MORE GAMES ARE PLAYED.

      1. Surely it would be more accurate to say that the REMAINING games are voided, as the games that have already been played seem likely to still be relevant to the outcome of the season, being used as the basis for the points per game calculation.

        Realistically though, surely it doesnt matter how you define voided or whether it applies to this season or not, all that matters here is that a cutoff date has been set and various methods (mostly) outlined to indicate how the necessary outcomes of the season will be determined.

  2. Jon fox, Voiding something means it no longer has any value to the parties involved.

    If a bet ticket is voided, it becomes a useless piece of paper with ink on it.

    When an unqualified technician tries to fix your phone, the warranty is voided … Meaning it no longer binds you and the manufacturer.

    If the season ends as it is and the current standing is used to determine next season’s fixtures, then we can’t possibly say this season has been ‘voided’…

    It’s just a case of “if we can’t finish, here’s how we’ll proceed with the results on ground”

    I’m surprised you are having a difficult time with this, seeing as you worked in the legal sector.

    1. Pxn, IT ALSO MEANS UNFILLED AND I REMIND YOU THAT I have held an English language degree for decades and know very well what English words mean. Void can be used in several slightly though crucially different ways. Suggest you refer to a dictionary as you doubt me.

  3. I would really like for the season to be played out…we can be able to build well for the next season

  4. Come on Jon,

    [Google result]

    adjective
    1.
    not valid or legally binding.
    “the contract was void”

    2.
    completely empty.
    “void spaces surround the tanks”

    noun
    1.
    a completely empty space.
    “the black void of space”

    2.
    (in bridge and whist) a suit in which a player is dealt no cards.
    “a hand with a singleton club is more likely than one with a void”

    verb
    1.
    NORTH AMERICAN
    declare that (something) is not valid or legally binding.
    “the Supreme court voided the statute”

    2.
    discharge or drain away (water, gases, etc.).
    “the gases are usually voided into the mechanism”

    [Google result ends]

    Let’s use a jar for instance.

    UNFILLED = Nothing inside the jar. AKA void.

    NOT FILLED = there might be something or not, but it’s not up to the brim.

    In this case the football governing body are saying “… If the jar is NOT FILLED by xx date, we shall use the contents as it is”

    They’re not EMPTYING it (making it void) to start all over!

    You could say the league will end Premature, unfinished, or incomplete.

    Everyone makes a mistake Jon, degree or not, it’s okay to admit you were mistaken. You’ll feel a peace flow from within.

    1. “Everyone makes a mistake Jon, degree or not, it’s okay to admit you were mistaken. You’ll feel a peace flow from within.”

      😂😂🤣

    2. PXN, you are simply mistaken and I note have avoided commenting on my correct use of void in”unfilled” Unfilled as you are uite well aware, acan mean far more than “nothing inside the jar” which is merely one intetretationof thretrue meningof void.

      LET ME ASK YOU SOME QUESTIONS AS I HAVE NOT PREVIOUSLY SEEN YOUR POSTS ON HERE. ARE YOU AN ENGLISH STUDENT AND DO YOU HAVE A DEGREE? Are you merely a self proclaimed “professor” and do you fully understand that many English words can be used with different meanings and subtle nuances in their meaning?

      “VOID” is such a word and I repeat that you are incorrect in what you claim; incorrect in that you seek to limit the way that VOID may correctly be used. I am correct.

  5. If things don’t change it will be cancelled the Dutch have already terminated there season more will follow believe me

  6. Any decision taken to end the league will actually be unfair to some clubs but it has to be taken. Void or no void, the season is already been damage by this pandemic ravaging the world.

      1. Hi Sue,
        No nothing from the club, but no-one knows what’s going to happen so I don’t really expect we’ll all hear anything until something official is announced.
        Towards the end of February I went to The Emirates and put 25% down on three Club Level seats for next season, when I began to realise that things were going to get out of hand with this Virus I contacted the club to say I’d changed my mind and was told “My deposit was non refundable”
        Mmmmmmmm!!

        1. Hi Tony, if the season does conclude (behind closed doors), i don’t see how they cannot refund you. Or will they deduct it from next season? Assuming there will be one 🙏😄

          It wouldn’t surprise me though if in the small print (at every club) there’s some sort of clause, so can wriggle their way out of it!!
          Non-refundable – sheesh!!! 😳 They certainly do alright out of us, don’t they?!!

  7. They sure do Sue. 48 years over land an sea, regrettably now I am, as we all are, just a number. Real shame! ☹️

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