Coronavirus and Football (Plus all Sport in General)

[ChesterDave]

If it is done that way there will be complaints and legal challenges from the sides that are relegated because some teams have had a harder run of fixtures. Also there are games that could have changed their fortunes e.g. West Ham were due to play Aston Villa on the last day of the season, it could be possible that a Villa win would have kept them up at West Ham's expense...

No code has to be inserted here.In the little table above it shows that Villa have harder games remaining but they have an additional game to get points which on current per game average should give them an extra .55 points on West Ham. But then as you highlight games against each other will be hugely significant. With fewer games remaining the average for those games will see wild swings.

There is the 'on the beach' argument that some team with nothing to fight for - Everton Newcastle Southampton (or even ourselves) - will slack off so a unexpected boost of points could be achieved in those games. As the season gets closer to completion more of those teams will fall into the bracket. Sporting differences like injuries and suspensions in remaining fixtures that would have affected future matches?

Were any teams missing key players that could now be fit and affect the results differently?

[S-RED]

So West Ham have Watford, Villa & Norwich to play; all would be 6 pointers on their own. This could make a huge difference should they lose 2 of those

[S-RED]

& Newcastle play all 4

[ChesterDave]

So West Ham have Watford, Villa & Norwich to play; all would be 6 pointers on their own. This could make a huge difference should they lose 2 of those

Yep. And Villa looking to avoid relegation have Chelsea, Man United, and Sheffield United who are all chasing Champions League so significant scope for change at each end.

[S-RED]

No code has to be inserted here.In the little table above it shows that Villa have harder games remaining but they have an additional game to get points which on current per game average should give them an extra .55 points on West Ham. But then as you highlight games against each other will be hugely significant. With fewer games remaining the average for those games will see wild swings.

There is the 'on the beach' argument that some team with nothing to fight for - Everton Newcastle Southampton (or even ourselves) - will slack off so a unexpected boost of points could be achieved in those games. As the season gets closer to completion more of those teams will fall into the bracket. Sporting differences like injuries and suspensions in remaining fixtures that would have affected future matches?

Were any teams missing key players that could now be fit and affect the results differently?

Table shows WHam vs Chavs twice, thats not correct

the 1st (4) should be 5th Mancs, so no easier for them

[ChesterDave]

Indeed, error on the placing but that actually makes there average position 11.555 so theoretically easier.

[baitman]

If it is done that way there will be complaints and legal challenges from the sides that are relegated because some teams have had a harder run of fixtures. Also there are games that could have changed their fortunes e.g. West Ham were due to play Aston Villa on the last day of the season, it could be possible that a Villa win would have kept them up at West Ham's expense...

The PL,and others, will introduce some sort of catch all rule once this seasons games are done.
They will have some clause: if for any reason the league has to be concluded early the results will be decided by... etc.

[rodo]

Uefa 2020 is taking place in 2021 and will be known as uefa 2020

[Buzzo]

Uefa 2020 is taking place in 2021 and will be known as uefa 2020

I guess they must have already printed all the t-shirts!

[Buzzo]

Live Fifa tournament involving players from each club.

Trent Playing tomorrow morning.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/football/52371724

[Exiled_red]

No code has to be inserted here.In the little table above it shows that Villa have harder games remaining but they have an additional game to get points which on current per game average should give them an extra .55 points on West Ham. But then as you highlight games against each other will be hugely significant. With fewer games remaining the average for those games will see wild swings.

There is the 'on the beach' argument that some team with nothing to fight for - Everton Newcastle Southampton (or even ourselves) - will slack off so a unexpected boost of points could be achieved in those games. As the season gets closer to completion more of those teams will fall into the bracket. Sporting differences like injuries and suspensions in remaining fixtures that would have affected future matches?

Were any teams missing key players that could now be fit and affect the results differently?

I was looking to see if someone had done an analysis like this I saw that there was one for the teams chasing CL spots https://www.planetfootball.com/quick...eague-chasers/ but couldn't find one for relegation. The games between two teams in relegation battle will be massive, I used the W Ham vs Villa as an example (because I'm lazy) but even one such game could have a major impact but even taking into account some sides having more difficult games they often pull out unexpected results.

I doubt the bottom 3 will be happy and would almost certainly seek to challenge it if it were decided like this Villa and Bournemouth in particular have strong reasons to object, Villa could argue that winning their game in hand keeps them up, while Bournemouth would only have to overturn a GD of -1 in 9 games to stay up. Even Norwich's position isn't entirely hopeless.

Supposedly you need a majority of 14 teams for making decisions (so I believe) I wonder how many of the sides chasing Europe would be unhappy with this, Man Utd would probably fancy their chances of making top 4, Sheff Utd and Wolves are in contention too (although they might just be happy to finish so high up the table) if Arsenal win their game in hand they could go 6th and be 5pts behind 4th with 8 to play they too might fancy their chances.

There are seemingly 3 options: 1) Play remaining games 2) Finish with the table as it is 3) Cancel the season. The key is probably the balance between options 2 and 3. Assuming option 3 is start from where we were last season I fear there being some support for this, the teams who would otherwise be relegated and teams such as Spurs who were in the CL last season but look unlikely to be in based on performance this year would all benefit. The sides who would lose out would be us, Leicester (would look like getting CL qualification) Man Utd (who feel that the could get CL qualification and didn't have it last year) and the Championship seeks who look like being promoted (as they aren't in the PL at the moment presumably they don't get as say)

[Buzzo]

The plan in Spain.

Daily Covid-19 tests and biodegradable kit bags: La Liga's plan to restart season

Link

Spain’s footballers will undergo daily coronavirus tests under a protocol for a return to training La Liga hopes to set in motion from the second week of May.

There will be three stages to training – individual, small group and full team – and the first tests are pencilled in for next Tuesday. From the second stage, squads will be obliged to live together in isolation, away from their families. A match-day protocol, first drafted in March, is being updated, with the league’s president, Javier Tebas, warning clubs that fans are unlikely to be able to attend games until after Christmas.

An eight-hour meeting Tebas had with the Spanish federation president, Luis Rubiales, and the secretary of state for sport, Irene Lozano, last weekend ended with what the minister described as “a commitment to restart training with a view to completing the season”.

There is recognition from all parties, though, that any return requires approval from health authorities. Fan groups are unhappy at a return behind closed doors and as yet there are no proposals to compensate them, but within the game’s authorities there is a broad acceptance that it will be impossible to restart with supporters.

The league’s three scenarios for a return to competition, in line with Uefa and Europe’s major leagues, plan for a restart on 28 May, 6 June or 28 June. Tebas does not want to contemplate the season being annulled, claiming the cost would be around €1bn (£870,000).

The protocol calls for clubs to be given a month of training where possible, with two weeks of group and full-team sessions following two weeks of individual training. Some clubs are concerned about the plausibility of that plan and returning to competition without sufficient training. That process begins with a four-part protocol written by doctors from three first division clubs and reviewed by medical departments at a further four clubs across the top two divisions. The protocol was distributed to every La Liga side and discussions with medical staff began on Wednesday. It has been shared with other European leagues.

The preliminary stage (phase one) of the protocol for the resumption of training involves at least three tests being carried out on every player before a return to activity, beginning with polymerase chain reaction and serology tests. The league hopes to carry out a first round of tests on 28 April to gain a picture of where they are and establish which players have built up an immunity to the virus. The final test of the first phase must be conducted two days before a return to activity.

Once sessions begin, up to two weeks after that first test, players will be subjected to daily serology antibody tests which the league has acquired. Any player found to be positive will be isolated.

Phase two is individual training sessions to be carried out at the clubs’ training grounds in a controlled environment that has to be disinfected before sessions. “Clean area” notices will be placed at entry points, the number of staff allowed in will be limited and training times staggered to prevent players coinciding with each other. Strict rules are laid out for the preparation of food – only one cook will be allowed – for laundry staff and for security. Employees will be categorised as high or low protection, with footballers in the former group.

Players will arrive at training always in the same car and in kit, taking away the following day’s kit in a sealed, biodegradable bag. Dressing rooms are not to be used and there will be a maximum of six players on any pitchand no more than 12 on site. No more than two players will be allowed in the gym and no interaction with coaching staff will be allowed. Staff must wear gloves and face masks, as must players until on the pitch.

From phase three, squads will be in isolation at the training ground, residency or a closed hotel space occupied only by the team. They will not be allowed home and will be in individual rooms. There will be no communal areas. Sessions will be conducted in three eight-player groups with no more than 20 staff on site. Those groups will be split across three dressing rooms, ensuring no more than three players are together. After sessions, they will return to their rooms.

Multiple dressing rooms, disinfected after every use, will also be used for the phase four, the final stage. At that point, teams will be able to train together for the first time with a view to a return to competition. In an ideal scenario the whole process will take a month, although there is a recognition of the fluidity of the situation. Details of match-day protocol are yet to be finalised but will stipulate that games are behind closed doors and, following the intervention of the federation and players’ union, not closer than 72 hours apart.

[Exiled_red]

The PL,and others, will introduce some sort of catch all rule once this seasons games are done.
They will have some clause: if for any reason the league has to be concluded early the results will be decided by... etc.

Presumably they will try it needs to have a threshold of how many games need to have been played. But I suspect that there will be a lot of arguments over how it is resolved, because people will have thought a lot about it over recent weeks. I suspect that if it had been introduced ages ago it would always have been considered something that would never have happened so they could probably have passed more or less anything, but now that it's reality and could affect clubs they might have more objections. The sensible thing might be to have discussions for this season and future seasons at the same time so that clubs views remain consistent, for example sides currently above the relegation zone might be happy with seeing other sides relegated if they themselves stay up this year, but if the same rules could apply to them next year they might not be so keen...

[Exiled_red]

The plan in Spain.

It seems fairly well considered and if we are going to have to stay in some form of lockdown for months getting things like football and other sports back could be a helpful distraction for many particularly if they show more games on TV.

The plan seems fine if there are no cases or only the odd player gets it and can be isolated quickly. I do wonder what the player/players union view is on this though as they could (quite rightly feel that they are being put in danger or unhappy about being isolated from their families). There are also questions such as what happens if a significant number of players in one squad gets it and they are unable to play, would that side be forced to play a youth team, would they postpone that sides fixtures for a couple of weeks, or put the season on hold again.

[Liverpool]

I thought there would be more demand for football to return but then only 3-4 million watch in the UK.

Needs to be on free to view channels.