2019/20 Premier League should be rendered null and void, proclaims Rio Ferdinand
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has admitted that the season needs to be rendered null and void for health reasons. Football and sporting activity across Europe has been suspended over the COVID-19 pandemic to stop the spread of the virus with the Premier League season extended indefinitely.
While there have been many suggestions over ways to end the season, the resounding claim is to finish the remaining 92 games behind closed doors. That has been met with a lot of criticism by the fans with the other suggestions ranging from playoff games for both European spots and relegation spots to ending the season with the current positions decided as the final. However, it has also seen West Ham co-chief Karren Brady admit that the season should be rendered null and void.
That has been further reiterated by Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand as the defender also admitted that the same needs to take place. The former Leeds United, QPR and West Ham defender also added that it should be done purely for health reasons as even holding games behind closed doors will not help contain the virus.
"I know there's going to be a lot of Liverpool fans going: 'oh, Rio, just because you used to play for Man United.' I just don't see a way that can be done where health isn't compromised. Simple as that. All this behind closed doors business -- you're still going to have players there, are the players not part of society?” Ferdinand said on Instagram.
"There are players who are going to go down with the illness who might not have recovered, or catch it from someone then it spreads to other players. It won't be fair, it's not a level playing field. I just don't feel it's right,” he added.
Football and sporting activity across Europe has been postponed but the Premier League are, so far, the only league to indefinitely extend their season. That combined with UEFA postponing the Euro 2020 to the summer of 2021 will hand the FA and the EFL more time to finish the season. Ferdinand went on to add that there will still be risks and while football does mean a lot, it’s not above life and death.
"There are going to be people in the stadium, security, it puts everyone at risk. All this, 'oh we're going to win this' or 'so-and-so might go down,' you've got to put those type of things to one side. This is about life and death situations, about society in the wider grand scheme of things. Football it ain't that serious in that sense. Listen, we all love it but it ain't life or death, when it comes to matters like this, you've got to put people's health before anything,” he added.