During previous Premier league seasons, there have been a lot of calls, calling for the inclusion of a winter break in the league calendar, as it’s usually done in Spain, Germany, Italy, France and in some other leagues. But nothing fruitful has came out of such proposal been made by top team’s managers and managements who have been a regular in the (Champions league and Europa league) European competitions.
The English Premier league has been known to be a rigorous league that requires energy in order to cope with the pace.
Due to congested fixtures, injuries and issues of fatigue sets in around the winter period, whereby, diminishing the player’s performance, most especially those playing in either of the European competitions.
Other top teams in other big leagues in Europe have been taking advantage of the winter break between December and January, to recover from the rigorous league matches, but such has not been the case in England. Which has led to pile of fixtures during the December period till January, whereby, they play averagely two (2) competitive matches within a week.
Top managers coming into England had found this so unsettling and an act of negligence on the part of the Premier League’s management, ignoring the fitness level of the players so as to uphold the football tradition in favour of the fans.
The players well-being has been claimed not to be considered, rather, been put into jeopardy due to lack of rest all through the season. The treatment table had been the sole period of rest for most players. While the fit ones runs out of strength and energy to carry-on, whereby decreasing their level of performance week in week out.
This 2019/2020 season, the league was eventually adjusted to allow each team to observe minimum of 14 days rest before been involved in another match.
Less than two months down the line, the world got a surprise (Coronavirus outbreak) which no one bargained for. It became world’s talking point, surprisingly shifting the attention away from football during an active season and was later taged an epidemic (COVID-19) virus.
All major league suspended, the ever working football industry has come to an abrupt halt and the fans as well as the teams have no idea what’s going to happen next. It hindered the hopes of Liverpool who have been 22 points clear over (Manchester City) second placed team and have clearly wrapped the title since January. And it has also brought a threat to their chance of winning the competition they’ve last held since 30 years ago.
Liverpool’s remarkable season seems to be fading away if the Premier league management decides to call the season null and void. Unlucky Liverpool it seems!
The COVID-19 virus has forced the Premier League to observe an indefinite period of rest but ironically, will that be a blessing in disguise for the English Premier League teams still in the European competitions to finally prove their superiority in both European competitions by winning the Champions league and Europa league, which has eluded them for some years now, especially the Champions league?
Will the league be concluded? Or pronounced as null and void? Will luck be against Liverpool? Or can Liverpool finally put an end to their Premier League winner’s drought?
The answers will depend on the final decision been made by the Premier league management, about the league’s chances of resuming or been nullified. Though by the look of it, there seem quite a possibility that the season will be declared null or void by the FA as the pandemic gets worse with time.
A remarkable season which might end up unremarkable.
