Premier League behind closed doors: Could the 2020-21 season be played without fans?

Playing football behind closed doors is normally a punishment, but thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, it is now considered a requirement if the sport is to be resurrected.

Stadiums across the world are normally transformed into heaving, cacophonous arenas as hundreds of thousands of people make journeys to cheer on their favourite teams.

However, social distancing guidelines designed to “flatten the curve” mean that it won’t be happening any time soon and it’s not clear when it will happen.

But, is it true that the behind-closed-doors stadium policy could last into the 2020-21 season? Goal takes a look.

Could Premier League 2020-21 be played behind closed doors?

There is a strong possibility that the 2020-21 Premier League season could be played behind closed doors and it is something that is being considered by league authorities as they plot how to revive action.

In the first instance, the return of Premier League football without supporters at stadiums will depend on how the British government and society handle the coronavirus pandemic in the coming months.

The idea is that games can resume first without fans in order to minimise the risk of spreading infection.

Then, when the situation becomes safer, fans will gradually be allowed back into stadiums to watch games.

Of course, things will not be truly safe until scientists find a vaccine or figure out an effective medical treatment for Covid-19.

It is unclear exactly how long developing a vaccine will take, but some estimates suggest that it could be anywhere between 12 and 18 months before one is widely available.

Some figures, including President of the United States Donald Trump, have agitated for expediting the process by accelerating clinical trials, but even then it will still be months before a vaccine is globally available.

That means, even if Premier League football is able to return in June – as targeted – it will likely be months before fans will be allowed into games and that would inevitably take us into the 2020-21 season.

What is ‘Project Restart’?

‘Project Restart’  is the name given to the Premier League’s plan to get the competition back up and running in June 2020.

The idea of the plan is to create a low-risk environment that is safe enough for teams to begin training together again and ultimately to play matches against other teams again.

Some of the details that have been outlined in the seven-page ‘Project Restart’ document include:

• Players to wear face masks at training ground.
• All equipment, including balls, to be disinfected before and after use.
• Players must pass an antibody test 48 hours before returning to training.
• Massages not permitted unless approved by a club doctor.
• Training limited to groups of five.
• Spitting banned.
• Social distancing.
• Cars must be parked three spaces apart.

Other ideas that have been suggested include playing games at neutral venues – opposed by Brighton – and reducing the length of halves from 45 minutes to make the game finish quicker, in effect minimising contact time.

Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville, meanwhile, has suggested that the Premier League should consider playing games in a country where the effects of the coronavirus pandemic are less severe.

What do footballers think of playing games behind closed doors?

While it may be a considered a necessity in order to safely stage Premier League matches, some footballers have conceded that it is difficult to imagine a ‘normal’ game of football without fans.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, Tottenham midfielder Harry Winks said: “It’s probably something that not every Premier League player wants to do. It’s a strange situation not having the fans there. That’s what makes football, that’s what makes the atmosphere.

“It’s what everybody plays for and lives for, it’s for the fans. When you can’t hear chanting, when you can’t hear the crowd it’s going to be a strange situation.”

For some footballers, the prospect alone of resuming play before a vaccine is available leaves them feeling scared.

“When we go back, I imagine that we will be very tense, we will be very careful, and the moment someone feels ill, you will think: ‘What’s gone on there?’” Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero told El Chiringuito.

“I hope there is a vaccine so all this ends. It does scare me, but I have just been here with my girlfriend. I haven’t had contact with other people.”

Aguero’s City team-mate John Stones told CityTV:  “We all want football back, me more than anyone, but I want it to be at the right time and I want it to be safe for everyone.

“For me as a player, you want to be playing in stadiums full of fans and the fans want to come to the game. If they can’t get to it, they’ll watch it on TV, but that’s the love and passion everyone knows and loves.”

When will the 2020-21 season begin?

It remains to be seen when the 2020-21 season will begin and it will depend on if and when the Premier League can complete the 2019-20 campaign.

Either way, September looks like the most likely date for the new Premier League season.

In France, where Ligue 1 was forced to a premature end by the French government, the date for the 2020-21 season restart is August 22-23 at the latest.

It may be if the Premier League cannot revive the 2019-20 season in June, that they will look to emulate their French counterparts with an August kick-off.