Getting fans back into stadiums is our number one priority, asserts Richard Masters
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has revealed that the league’s top priority is to get fans back into the stadium with them waiting on the government’s testing programme. The 2019/20 season was finished behind closed doors across Europe although fans and critics alike hope that change.
With the 2020/21 Premier League, amongst others, set to be played behind closed doors, it has fans and clubs alike concerned about the future of football. However, testing programmes have been implemented so far with stadiums filled at capacity in order to help fans stay safe but at the same time watch their favourite sport. More importantly, for clubs, it will allow them to curb a potential £700 million loss for the upcoming season if games are not played behind closed doors anymore.
There are plans being put into action that could see fans return as soon as October in England with that changing across Europe. Reports have indicated, however, that Germany could have fans inside as soon as the end of September although nothing has been confirmed as of yet. Yet the aim, however, according to Richard Masters, is to get fans back inside stadiums. The Premier League’s chief executive further added that they’re waiting to see the results of the government’s testing programme before deciding anything.
"We have to get back to fans inside stadia as quickly as possible - that's the big thing that's missing, economic or otherwise - we need fans back inside stadiums for all sorts of reasons and it's the number one priority. It doesn't lower our ambitions - it just means that we'll have to adapt - it's one thing we've shown over recent months, we're able to adapt to the situation,” Masters told BBC.
"We wait to see what impact it has on the government's testing programme, and permissions it's going to give, and also on that crucial October 1 date. We wait to see what the government decides and we'll remain in dialogue with them throughout. We always knew September was going to be a difficult month at the start of the return to normality the government was talking about, and so we should anticipate bumps in the road."
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