Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson said resuming the Premier League is a "non-starter" and "farcical"; he says he has had no contact from club
Friday 1 May 2020 06:06, UK
Liverpool have said they are "disappointed" by comments made by the city's mayor over the potential restart of the Premier League season.
Premier League clubs remain determined to finish the 2019/20 campaign and are due to receive 'Project Restart' proposals at a meeting on Friday about how the season could resume as early as June 8.
It would see games played behind closed doors and only at "approved venues".
But in an interview with BBC Sport on Thursday, Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson said the project was a "non-starter", fearing a "farcical" situation with fans congregating outside Anfield - even if Liverpool win the title at a neutral venue.
Liverpool, closing in on their first title for 30 years with a 25-point lead with nine games remaining, called the mayor's comments "disappointing", adding there was "a lack of evidence to support such claims".
The club said they are in "regular contact" with Anderson over the possibility of playing behind closed doors, something which the mayor has since told Sky Sports News he denies.
A Liverpool statement said: "We would also point to recent discussions with Mayor Anderson relating to the possibility of any behind-closed-doors football, which concluded that it is important that key stakeholders across the city continue to engage and work collaboratively.
"In recent weeks, we have engaged with supporters' groups who have informed us of their determination to respect social distancing measures and, in the event of a resumption of football being announced, we would continue to work with them and other key stakeholders in keeping with our collective desire to achieve this crucial objective.
"As part of our ongoing operations, we are in regular contact with the Mayor and his office and we hope these conversations can continue.
"In the meantime, our primary focus remains responding to the humanitarian crisis which continues to unfold and in particular providing ongoing support to various NHS initiatives and those experiencing food poverty and social isolation."
Anderson later told Sky Sports News that "Liverpool Football Club have had no conversations" with him.
He added: "I still have concerns about people congregating outside Anfield and like others, like the police, I think those concerns are valid. I would argue that, like other countries, let's close it down, let's plan for next season."
Playing all the outstanding Premier League, EFL and FA Cup matches in the 2019-20 season at their original venues would "present challenges" to the police, the national lead for football policing said on Wednesday.
With football suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, what is the current situation around Europe's top leagues?
Paris Saint-Germain have been awarded the Ligue 1 title after the season was ended amid the coronavirus pandemic.
PSG, who have now won their seventh French title in the last eight years, held a 12-point lead over second-placed Marseille when the season was suspended in March.
The French Professional Football League (LFP) ratified the decision at a meeting on Thursday, two days after French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe suspended sport in the country until at least September.
A points-per-game system, taking into account the performance of clubs in the matches already played, was used to determine the final standings in the Ligue 1 table.
Marseille have qualified directly for the Champions League while third-place Rennes will enter the qualifying rounds, with Toulouse and Amiens relegated.
The LFP have also crowned Lorient, who led Lens by just one point, as Ligue 2 champions with both clubs earning promotion.
Premier League players will have to cover their faces as part of new rules to allow a safe return to full training.
Proposals have been drafted by Premier League director of football Richard Garlick but a return to training will only happen with the agreement of the government.
Plans include testing all players and officials 48 hours before returning to training and they will also be tested for potential respiratory problems associated with coronavirus.
Other proposals include:
Sky Sports' Gerard Brand...
"The answer, as you'd expect, varies.
"Some reports suggest a Premier League game needs anything between 250 and 500 personnel present, whereas lower down in the Football League there has been suggestions that anything between 100 and 180 are needed in a stadium.
"As well as around 60-70 staff on the playing and officiating side, matchday and safety staff take up a large chunk, as well as at least 70 broadcast media for live televised games, 40 for non-live games, plus written press if deemed essential.
"In Germany, detailed guidelines have been published claiming a maximum of 322 people are needed in and around stadiums for a football match to go ahead."