Can the Premier League still finish its season?

FC Yahoo's Ryan Bailey looks at the steps needed to get the EPL back on the pitch, potentially without fans, after coronavirus concerns suspended play.

Video Transcript

RYAN BAILEY: The Premier League season needs to conclude properly, but there are a number of steps that need to happen for that to be possible.

Ryan Bailey for Yahoo Sports. With lockdown measures in the UK showing few signs of abating, the conclusion of the 2019-20 Premier League remains in peril. With the likes of Sheffield United having a game in hand that could put them in European contention and Aston Villa with a game in hand that could take them out of the relegation zone, there's simply no fair way to end the season without playing the games, likely behind closed doors at this point.

So how do we do that in the foreseeable future? Well, the first step would be when it's safe for players to return to training. This has been done in the Bundesliga with strict measures. They train in small groups. There's no tackling, and the players must shower and change at home.

But if those players are to consider actually playing games with physical contact, they'll need to be isolated from their families and tested regularly. The single-most-important factor in the return of the league, as specified in a two-hour video call between officials last week, is the implementation of mass testing.

For a game to happen behind closed doors, around 250 people are needed. That's the players, coaches, broadcast crew, and medical staff. All of those people would need to be tested regularly to ensure the games are as safe as possible. And in order for the required medical staff to be present at games, the curve needs to be flattened to the extent that they are not needed elsewhere to deal with the pandemic.

With health resources stretched past their capacity at present, this means the return of Premier League soccer isn't happening any time soon. But if social-distancing measures continue to be observed, if testing capacity is increased beyond its current capacity of 38,000 tests per day in the UK, and if there are enough medical staff available to make it safe, then the Premier League can return.

In the meantime, we're all in this together, and we can help the beautiful game return sooner by staying safe.

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