The English Premier League will resume its season on June 17 barring any complications or new developments with COVID-19.
After suspending the season on March 13, the league decided on Thursday that the remaining 92 fixtures (soccer-speak for “games”) will take place during June and July, with the hope of ending before August 1. The four clubs with a game in hand will play each other before the rest of the league starts, so Manchester City-Arsenal and Aston Villa- Sheffield United will both re-kickoff the season in midweek fixtures.
Although this represents a major step towards reestablishing post-coronavirus normalcy, matches in both leagues will still be markedly different from the league’s standard fare. Namely, the stadiums will be empty save for team officials, broadcast crews and stadium staff, as they have been in the newly resumed Bundesliga in Germany.
What’s more, high-profile matches may take place at neutral sites so hometown fans don’t feel compelled to cluster near the stadium. After all, if tens of thousands of Kopites gather to sing some hokey showtunes to celebrate Liverpool’s first ever league title, it defeats the purpose of closing Anfield in the first place.
Since stadiums are closed, the matches will be more accessible than ever before. Each match will fill one of four time slots on Saturdays and Sundays and new midweek fixtures have been added on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. BBC Sports will air matches for the first time, and Amazon Prime could broadcast some as well.
“The Premier League and our clubs are proud to have incredibly passionate and loyal supporters,” Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said in a statement. “It is important to ensure as many people as possible can watch the matches at home.”
Update: Late Thursday, Italian Sports Minister Vincenzo Spadafora announced that Serie A, the country’s top soccer division, will return on June 20, just three days after the EPL gets underway. Perennial favorites Juventus currently top the table on 63 points, with Rome-based club Lazio sitting just a point behind.
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