The Coronavirus outbreak is going to affect football in ways we cannot yet imagine, none of us knows what is going to happen or what the fall out will be.
One scenario that is scaring the life out of the Premier League is if the competition this season had to be declared null and void.
Legal action left, right and centre would be forthcoming, that you can take to the bank. Then there is the financial implications that would be devastating for the majority of clubs, the financial loss via TV money, sponsorship gate receipts, refunds etc would be enormous.
Well, two things have happened today that gives an ominous warning of what could happen, as reported by the Express.
The first is that FIFA is enforcing loan deals until the end of the season, not the end of June. That decision is untenable long term, it will be just a matter of time before players begin to enforce their contracts, loan players simply cannot be left in limbo indefinitely and there will come a point where FIFA says enough is enough.
The second is that the FA today declared all competitions below the National League North and South null and void and so it begins, leagues are beginning to be voided this season, even if it is just the minor leagues right now.
As things stand today the Premier League, FA, UEFA, FIFA etc are all determined to see the season completed but as each day passes and as each return date gets extended the closer we will get to the Premier League being declared null and void.
I agree that a null and void conclusion is becoming more likely as each week passes. We are, or should that be already HAVE, run out of alternatives and basic sense tells us that we have not a cat in heels chance of playing football in the foreseeably future, though some persist in daft hopes for the impossible. I will be clear; a null and void would be a calamity for the game – I can see that as well as anyone, but we will not have a choice. It is not a choice between three or four outcomes, because the clock does not stop ticking and the months do not stop rolling by. You cannot play the 2019-20 season next year OR you will have every year after that running a year behind.
Reality dictates that we are almost at the point of no return to EVER finish THIS season. I HATE IT TOO, BUT I FACE FACTS!
There is no way we can restart the season in the foreseeable future. I believe if we finish July without any football there would be no choice but to declare this season null and void. European qualification could be decided based on last season ranking which would be most easy way. Normal i would be biased since it would mean champions league qualification for us IF WE deal with coronavirus before it becomes a seasonal thing. that would be scary.