Football & Coronavirus [READ MOD NOTE IN FIRST POST - updated 06-05-20]

RasTa

citytillidie wrote: »

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2020/0420/1132755-serie-a-commits-to-finishing-season-after-lockdown/

That's from the 20th of April

Also says

Sports minister Vincenzo Spadafora will meet with FIGC officials midweek, but he warned he was not sure that Serie A teams can even resume training.

"I am not giving any assurances for the start of the championship or training on May 4, if the conditions for the country do not exist beforehand," Spadafora told Tg2 Post.

Anything happening on the 4th?

citytillidie

RasTa wrote: »

That's from the 20th of April

Also says



Anything happening on the 4th?

Again it’s like the premier league all about the money and tv rights

https://www.sportbusiness.com/news/serie-a-set-on-finishing-season-as-doubts-persist-over-rights-contracts/

The_Kew_Tour

irelandrover wrote: »

How does the Italian league resuming change the fact that juventus wouldn't accept the title if they were awarded it?

Plus the Italian sports minister said he doubts the league can resume.

Ya it was a real strange post. Hopefully it will return but as you say if Government have doubts it ain't going ahead, sadly. Events in Germany over last 24 hours have not helped.

gstack166

FitzShane wrote: »

Hearsay. It's not Juventus saying the statements, which was said above that it was fact that Juventus had said it. It wasn't.

You were complaining yesterday that no club or owner had used the June 8th return date for the PL, speculating it all as gossip as there was no quotes directly from people involved. No Juventus person has put their name to this quote so you can write this one as gossip too surely.

I never said it was or wasn’t gossip. I asked did the club say that, I never said they did I then said there’s reports in publications of the Chief Executive saying they wouldn’t accept it. I certainly didn’t state it as fact. I said a quick google and I found these reports.

davemckenna25

joe_99 wrote: »

Mentioned here a few days ago

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-8269563/Could-Premier-League-restart-St-Georges-Park-neutral-venue-amid-coronavirus-crisis.html

Did you actually read that article.. pure maybes...might be another option the FA have pitched is what the article says, all just guess work and made up.

So I take it then you have no factual article to back up your claim... I was 99.9999999% certain you wouldn't.

Collie D

davemckenna25 wrote: »

Did you actually read that article.. pure maybes...might be another option the FA have pitched is what the article says, all just guess work and made up.

So I take it then you have no factual article to back up your claim... I was 99.9999999% certain you wouldn't.

The Daily Mail doesn’t do reporting. Only speculation and maybes.

Always amazes me the number of Irish people who read that site given their notorious anti Irish agenda. We were the enemy until the EU caught their ire.

joe_99

Collie D wrote: »

The Daily Mail doesn’t do reporting. Only speculation and maybes.

Always amazes me the number of Irish people who read that site given their notorious anti Irish agenda. We were the enemy until the EU caught their ire.

I never understand it myself seems popular with a certain type of person.

joe_99

It is all maybes at the minute.

Check out Independent.co.uk reports they broke the story of behind closed doors and quarantine players a month ago. One half looks right so far.

In order to complete the plan, clubs and their staffs would be confined to separate hotels away from their families, just like in an international tournament – albeit with full testing and quarantine conditions. The aim is to reduce the risk of contracting Covid-19 as even one case could derail the whole plan.

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/coronavirus-premier-league-isolated-camps-remaining-fixtures-dates-suspension-latest-a9432961.html

joe_99

joe_99 wrote: »

It is all maybes at the minute.

Check out Independent.co.uk reports they broke the story of behind closed doors and quarantine players a month ago. One half looks right so far.

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/coronavirus-premier-league-isolated-camps-remaining-fixtures-dates-suspension-latest-a9432961.html

It's been maybes since March tbf!

joe_99

6 wrote: »

It's been maybes since March tbf!

Totally. But every time somebody puts forward a news article or opinion on this forum it's abuse from all sides.

Football so toxic at the moment. I've never known anything like it. This thread is the prime example.

Collie D

joe_99 wrote: »

Totally. But every time somebody puts forward a news article or opinion on this forum it's abuse from all sides.

Football so toxic at the moment. I've never known anything like it. This thread is the prime example.

Opinion is fine. It’s when an opinion is spun as fact or certainty that annoys people. Or using ****rags like The Mail with no direct quotes or facts and saying it’s proof.

Nothing is certain at the moment. The whole thread is speculation which is fine once it’s not stated as fact and is open to discussion.

gstack166

https://www.bbc.com/sport/av/football/52505612

Murray is spot on here.

joe_99

joe_99 wrote: »

Totally. But every time somebody puts forward a news article or opinion on this forum it's abuse from all sides.

Football so toxic at the moment. I've never known anything like it. This thread is the prime example.

I think everyone just wants football back asap when safe.

davemckenna25

joe_99 wrote: »

It is all maybes at the minute.

Check out Independent.co.uk reports they broke the story of behind closed doors and quarantine players a month ago. One half looks right so far.



https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/coronavirus-premier-league-isolated-camps-remaining-fixtures-dates-suspension-latest-a9432961.html

But you were very specific in what you said... no maybe or could be..

Your quote was "In June 2020 players will be isolated in hotels only interactiing with others that are tested every few days. In June 2021 they will be living in the community."


Are you saying that you posted wrong or that you were wrong?

I'm going to take from your back tracking that you were wrong... don't worry, it can happen.

Just try to research your points in the future if you are going to be putting them forward as facts that they are.

At the moment we all have our ideas and opinions with no idea who will be correct.

davemckenna25

I think the main issue at the minute is people putting their opinions up as facts and taking newspaper articles as facts.

Omackeral

Not sure if it's ok to put this here but myself and two mates have been fundraising for our club by trying to virtually sell it out. Idea is that you buy a beer, pie or ticket as if you were attending the match as normal. We produce ''matchday'' posters vs whoever we would've been facing on the day with some tv/film references added in. Here's a few examples;

Vs Derry City



Vs Shelbourne



Vs Cork City

We're very close to hitting our next target of €5000 and was hoping maybe one or two could share some of our work and our link if possible! Thank you!

-> Help to virtually sell out Dalymount Park

Fitz*

Sassuolo are back to training on Monday.

https://twitter.com/SassuoloUS/status/1256609651950596104?s=19

joe_99

https://theathletic.com/1789458/2020/05/02/premier-league-qa-neutral-venues-testing-arrangements-and-what-happens-next/

Good info here. So much going into the decision to restart. Next season could be a mess without a vaccine. If players are scared now then if play resumes next season the fear will be palpable. No vaccine no football if attitudes don't change.

CSF

I get so confused when people talk about this sh*t with an air of any level of certainty. To be honest, it would be weirder if we did have a clue in a situation like this.

wadacrack

joe_99 wrote: »

https://theathletic.com/1789458/2020/05/02/premier-league-qa-neutral-venues-testing-arrangements-and-what-happens-next/

Good info here. So much going into the decision to restart. Next season could be a mess without a vaccine. If players are scared now then if play resumes next season the fear will be palpable. No vaccine no football if attitudes don't change.

Need a reality check. Football will be played before a vaccine and yes it will be a risk but healthcare and shop assistants are taking that risk every day.

South Korea returning nxt weekend, Belarus ongoing atm.

Switzerland confirmed for June 8th
Poland confirmed for May 29th
Czech Rep confirmed for May 25th
Faroe Islands confirmed May 8th
Austria confirmed for June

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2020/may/02/premier-league-critics-should-recognise-football-cannot-wait-for-ever?fbclid=IwAR1Hfeo2CN1FNh3TJnsUocrlv-ukRd9u6ZnKq8VeFs-STnGNR_hFtciekEM

Top leagues like the Premier League Bundesliga and La Liga is likely to have much safer regulations than the leagues listed. Eventually most leagues are going to have to take the risk and try to get back. Their is no point in waiting for a magic bullet to fix this situation. Hopefully it goes well but if not it is truly disastrous for the game at the elite level

Fitz*

Some interesting pieces tonight surrounding the return to play in the Premier League.

Brighton have a statement out saying that they have not been consulted about games being played in their stadium as a neutral venues at all, contradicting some newspaper reports.

https://twitter.com/OfficialBHAFC/status/1256645846667534336?s=19

There was a different report saying that the bottom 6 clubs are now against using neutral venues to play out remaining games and that they should be allowed to play at home.

i myself think that playing at neutral venues is not ideal, as clubs should be allowed played at their home stadium where they are used to the pitch dimensions and surface etc but I can understand the worry that organisers have with this due to the possibility of crowds congregating outside. On the other hand, an empty stadium without fans is the same everywhere so is there much of a home advantage in an empty stadium? Carra & Matt Law have good points here on the issue of playing at neutral venues. I

https://twitter.com/Matt_Law_DT/status/1256638195527290882?s=19

https://twitter.com/Carra23/status/1256670581916925961?s=19

Arghus

wadacrack wrote: »

Need a reality check. Football will be played before a vaccine and yes it will be a risk but healthcare and shop assistants are taking that risk every day.

South Korea returning nxt weekend, Belarus ongoing atm.

Switzerland confirmed for June 8th
Poland confirmed for May 29th
Czech Rep confirmed for May 25th
Faroe Islands confirmed May 8th
Austria confirmed for June

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2020/may/02/premier-league-critics-should-recognise-football-cannot-wait-for-ever?fbclid=IwAR1Hfeo2CN1FNh3TJnsUocrlv-ukRd9u6ZnKq8VeFs-STnGNR_hFtciekEM

Top leagues like the Premier League Bundesliga and La Liga is likely to have much safer regulations than the leagues listed. Eventually most leagues are going to have to take the risk and try to get back. Their is no point in waiting for a magic bullet to fix this situation. Hopefully it goes well but if not it is truly disastrous for the game at the elite level

Not to be pedantic about it, but all those leagues that are "confirmed", really aren't. Those are their plans for now, which are all still highly contingent on how the next weeks/months pan out in terms of the spread of the virus.

gstack166

wadacrack wrote: »

Need a reality check. Football will be played before a vaccine and yes it will be a risk but healthcare and shop assistants are taking that risk every day.

South Korea returning nxt weekend, Belarus ongoing atm.

Switzerland confirmed for June 8th
Poland confirmed for May 29th
Czech Rep confirmed for May 25th
Faroe Islands confirmed May 8th
Austria confirmed for June

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2020/may/02/premier-league-critics-should-recognise-football-cannot-wait-for-ever?fbclid=IwAR1Hfeo2CN1FNh3TJnsUocrlv-ukRd9u6ZnKq8VeFs-STnGNR_hFtciekEM

Top leagues like the Premier League Bundesliga and La Liga is likely to have much safer regulations than the leagues listed. Eventually most leagues are going to have to take the risk and try to get back. Their is no point in waiting for a magic bullet to fix this situation. Hopefully it goes well but if not it is truly disastrous for the game at the elite level

Where are the statements from the Football Associations of these country’s confirming these restarts?

Have you just plucked them dates out of the sky or what?

8-10

Interesting that next season sees the start of new TV broadcasting deals for the French, Dutch, Belgian and Scottish leagues.

So you'd imagine financially that it's more important for those leagues to start on time next season than completing this one.

Note the French, Dutch and Belgian leagues have all been ended with Scotland expected to follow suit

gstack166

8-10 wrote: »

Interesting that next season sees the start of new TV broadcasting deals for the French, Dutch, Belgian and Scottish leagues.

So you'd imagine financially that it's more important for those leagues to start on time next season than completing this one.

Note the French, Dutch and Belgian leagues have all been ended with Scotland expected to follow suit

Here’s me thinking it was all about integrity trying to finish this season off in England or so I’ve been reading here.

wadacrack

gstack166 wrote: »

Where are the statements from the Football Associations of these country’s confirming these restarts?

Have you just plucked them dates out of the sky or what?

No I haven't. You can check yourself. More leagues in Europe also planning for June atm. More should be confirmed. Hopefully it all goes to plan

StringerBell

The truth is nobody knows, Belarus didn't even stop incredibly. The league's who have officially ended having new deals in place for next season makes a lot of sense as a reason for them being relatively quicker to make a call on just calling the season done and dusted.

All everyone wants is sport back as quickly and as safely as possible, whether that will be a disaster or not in terms of when associations decide to give that a go or not is up in the air. It could well come back, few players go down with the virus and it has to be called off again, nobody wants that and I don't trust the English to handle anything well looking at how their government operates.

With some luck the season will finished by the end of the summer with all the games being played and we start next season behind closed doors but televised and all goes well, I can also say this that players getting tested two and three times a week will not go down well with the public if it will on the public's bill and the virus is not under control.

Such a mess.

wadacrack

Their needs to be a sense of realism about this. Koln just had 3 players test positive and are continuing to train. Their is sense of deniel about the virus in regards sport atm.If its agreed by the Government leagues will come back and take that chance. Its been 6 weeks without professional sport and look at the repercussions, this can't go on much longer without leagues taking a chance. If a league at the very elite level with players basically cocooned and the best testing and medically care with players who are not at risk of serious symptoms does not go to plan, then yes Sport in a very bad position long term. But that chance will have to be taken at some point. Is It going to much safer in the near future than it is in June after a stringent lockdown in the UK and just after the first peak . I'm not sure it will be for a long long time. More study needs to be on outdoor transmission of this virus to be aware of the risks involved.

Pauliedragon

In fairness the Belarus president reckons vodka and farming can cure the virus. I wouldn't be looking to them for advice. Now I need a naggin for a cure when does the offie open?

Girly Gal

If the season does restart, all the testing would need to be done by independent parties to avoid the potential of clubs doctoring results to suit their own agenda, whether that's to finish the season or to prevent the season being completed.

Collie D

If a league restarts would there be an option to do away with dead rubbers?

Say using Liverpool as an obvious example. They need six points to win the title. They get those six points in their first two or three games. They’re still due to play Newcastle. By the time the Newcastle game comes around Newcastle have earned enough points to stay up but mathematically wont be able to improve their position to get into Europe.

Can this game just be agreed as a 0-0 draw without being played? Liverpool might not reach a record points tally and Newcastle might potentially lose out on the prize money difference between 11th and 10th place but given the circumstances they’re not particularly major issues IMO.

Apart from the title race it’s a tight enough season for European and relegation spots so there may not be too many dead rubbers but the less games required the easier it will be to see the league out with less logistical issues or contagion risk. Might even free up a venue or a fixture date to try complete FA Cup.

Bridge93

i don’t see them playing some games and calling others off. If it goes ahead, everyone will be required to complete their games or at least play as many as everyone else, whatever the plan is. The word integrity has come up before. What does it do for the integrity of the league if they are picking and choosing games to play.

Drumpot

wadacrack wrote: »

Their needs to be a sense of realism about this. Koln just had 3 players test positive and are continuing to train. Their is sense of deniel about the virus in regards sport atm.If its agreed by the Government leagues will come back and take that chance. Its been 6 weeks without professional sport and look at the repercussions, this can't go on much longer without leagues taking a chance. If a league at the very elite level with players basically cocooned and the best testing and medically care with players who are not at risk of serious symptoms does not go to plan, then yes Sport in a very bad position long term. But that chance will have to be taken at some point. Is It going to much safer in the near future than it is in June after a stringent lockdown in the UK and just after the first peak . I'm not sure it will be for a long long time. More study needs to be on outdoor transmission of this virus to be aware of the risks involved.

Agree with that, there is a complete denial kind of attitude to this.

There is still an awful lot of uncertainty surrounding the virus, they really can’t start back football in a safe environment, they are talking through their hoops on that . I read of a case where 5 divers tested positive for the virus even though being asymptomatic. Supposedly, even though they didn’t actually even get a bad dose it damaged their lungs where they can’t dive like the would normally. If you are a professional player , how do you feel about the sport jeopardizing your health and the health of your family?

Test all you want and try all these ˋsafety measureś´, there is no way of being fully sure this early into the pandemic. Of course fans desperate for the sport to resume won’t care about players or staff of teams safety, but Neville put it exactly as it is. If it wasn’t about money and was just about the safety of everyone involved, there wouldn’t even be talk of leagues returning anytime soon.

Chuck Noland

Italian Government confirms serie a teams can resume training

Collie D

Bridge93 wrote: »

i don’t see them playing some games and calling others off. If it goes ahead, everyone will be required to complete their games or at least play as many as everyone else, whatever the plan is. The word integrity has come up before. What does it do for the integrity of the league if they are picking and choosing games to play.

Normally maybe but these are exceptional circumstances so a little variation from the norm would be expected. I wouldn’t see declaring a meaningless game as a draw or even void as stretching the integrity as much as losing home advantage which appears to be the way it’s going to go.

There is also the chance that the season could be halted again and a decision will have to be made on declaring or not. If 36 games have been played rather than 38 and Liverpool are 7+ clear and the bottom 3 are 7 behind 17th place I think declaring a team champion and the bottom three as relegated can’t really be argued with.

Agent Coulson

The world will restart in the coming weeks and months not just football and people will continue to get Covid-19 in every walk of life till a vaccine is found, football and sport in general is no different the whole flatting the curve was to slow down people catching it and not to overwhelm hospitals that phase is now nearly over and when more people catch it in the coming months hospitals should not be as overwhelmed.

Sport without fans will be the new normal till a vaccine is found and delivered.

Bridge93

Collie D wrote: »

Normally maybe but these are exceptional circumstances so a little variation from the norm would be expected. I wouldn’t see declaring a meaningless game as a draw or even void as stretching the integrity as much as losing home advantage which appears to be the way it’s going to go.

There is also the chance that the season could be halted again and a decision will have to be made on declaring or not. If 36 games have been played rather than 38 and Liverpool are 7+ clear and the bottom 3 are 7 behind 17th place I think declaring a team champion and the bottom three as relegated can’t really be argued with.

I’d agree but in those scenarios everyone has played the same amount of games. I just don’t see how teams completing varying amounts of games is anything other than a farce. As bad as neutral venues are, at least everyone has played the same amount of games.
Your second scenario would be out of necessity. A board just picking and choosing certain games to not play is not if other games are deemed capable of going ahead. They’re not the same situation.
If as per your example Newcastle become mathematically safe the game immediately proceeding the Liverpool game, is a snap decision made just just call it off two or three days before they play? If Liverpool win the league with 7 games to go do they just play random games at random points for the rest of the season depending on who they happen to run into on a given week?

It’s all or nothing for me. They deem it safe to play or they don’t

giveitholly

Crystal Palace chairman has his say

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/crystal-palace-chief-defends-premier-21965970.amp?__twitter_impression=true

Fitz*

The mask is slipping.

'I'll play games, but only if I can't lose'.

https://twitter.com/RorySmith/status/1256922824549322753?s=19

RasTa

Football without fans is nothing...

wadacrack

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2020/0503/1136328-cillian-sheridan-not-fearful-of-training-return/

Drumpot

Agent Coulson wrote: »

The world will restart in the coming weeks and months not just football and people will continue to get Covid-19 in every walk of life till a vaccine is found, football and sport in general is no different the whole flatting the curve was to slow down people catching it and not to overwhelm hospitals that phase is now nearly over and when more people catch it in the coming months hospitals should not be as overwhelmed.

Sport without fans will be the new normal till a vaccine is found and delivered.

Wasn’t just about saving hospitals , was also about buying time to learn more about the virus so we can make more informed decisions on what to do. More is known now then was known 3 months ago and the same will be the case in another 3 months.

Put simply, there are a lot of unknowns about the virus, how will it look in 6 months time if the virus leaves a significant portion of people with lung issues, if soccer started back a few weeks after the pandemic started? It will look like terrible, unethical , immoral decision that was all about Money and people not giving any meaningful thought to potential damage.

It’s all good and well talking about how society will have to eventually get back to some sort of semblence of normality , but this isn’t a normal time. Would soccer start back if we were at war? Of course it wouldn’t, but because it’s an invisible enemy and nobody really has to see the damage it causes (unless it’s affecting you personally) , people are Blaise about it’s potential effects on others.

I’d love to see football back aswell and I’m not going to pretend I wouldn’t enjoy it or get back into it if it started back up. I’m just not gonna pretend that there was any meaningful consideration given to the safety, that will be the least important factor and I will know deep down the sport shouldn’t be starting back up. We all tell ourselves stories on many things we know to be lies, so we can live with decisions we make and things we enjoy.

noodler

RasTa wrote: »

Football without fans is nothing...

What do you mean?


I'm back baby! Seems I've missed a fair bit during my ban.

Aguero seems to be one of the most vocal lads worrying about rushing back. KDB was in the media today and he seems far more understanding of the need to return.

CSF

The ‘all about money’ conversation that keeps getting thrown around. As if money is some luxury item that people should be able to live without if they absolutely have to.

The lads who run City may be able to survive without the money generated by football this year, and I’d place a bet that Harry Kane and Paul Pogba can also.

I would wager that there are a huge number of people who are currently relying on football related income to feed their families and the idea that governments and companies alike will continue to subsidise their earnings for another year doesn’t seem their practical/likely.

That doesn’t mean that public health shouldn’t be a priority also. They need to find the best possible way to protect people’s health without creating an industry full of people (not all of whom will be highly paid footballers or even footballers) with no source or income until a vaccine is found.

Pretty much every economic situation that get made here is ‘all about the money’ and carries some risk in reopening, and yet you don’t hear the same vitriol about the idea of the hairdressers reopening.

CrabRevolution

jayo26 wrote: »

Only if they were lab tested and its not going back to the start. They reckon more people habe died on nursing homes without been tested then have been tested and died.

Remember at the start uk weren't testing only in hospitals but many died in nursing home while been treated there.

At the start during their "herd immunity" phase, the UK didn't do testing unless the patient was in hospital and they were already certain they had Covid-19, as they thought it was a waste of time and resources otherwise.

Of course along with herd immunity they realised this was a suicidal tactic, and did a U -turn, announcing they'd be doing 100'000 tests a day soon.

RasTa

noodler wrote: »

What do you mean?


I'm back baby! Seems I've missed a fair bit during my ban.

Aguero seems to be one of the most vocal lads worrying about rushing back. KDB was in the media today and he seems far more understanding of the need to return.

Simples, cancel football if there are no fans

noodler

RasTa wrote: »

Simples, cancel football if there are no fans

Ah don't be silly

RasTa

Watching the United v LASK game was enough

noodler

RasTa wrote: »

Watching the United v LASK game was enough

The decision won't come down to whether or not one of us thinks watching the game on TV with no fans invalidates the whole purpose of them being played

Might never happen!

But if it does it will be for financial and sporting reasons and many will see the benefit of an imperfect football experience over none at all.

noodler

It's been said in Ireland this week that, in the absence of a vaccine, around 70% of the population will have to get it before life can return to the way it was.

It's difficult to shake the feeling that we are all going to have to get this at some stage.

Obviously footballers, at least the top ones, won't have the same employment imperative to go back to work and so could take a more cautious stance.

They'd obviously be unable to avoid contact though at the same time though would have the best available treatment and test options.

I dunno just thoughts. I'm getting more and more of the view that we will have to get back to it here in Ireland soon enough of we want an economy to return to and everyone is going to have to take more measured risks.