The resumption of Football & FIFA's lack of leadership

Before I begin writing this it’s worth noting that all matters involving sport in the current climate are about as substantial as a fart during a hurricane.

People of much higher status and intelligence than myself are doing a great job of educating the nation on the severity of Covid-19.

With that in mind, the following points laid out should be taken with a pinch of salt. It is not my intention to undermine those who have sacrificed so much fighting the virus or those who have lost loved ones as a result.

Only when it’s safe to do so…

The message above seamlessly leads me onto my first and the most vital point of all.

Football (and all sport) should only resume once the relevant authorities can assure that it is safe to do so, just like any other industry. The players and those involved in putting on a football match must not feel at risk in any way, the last thing that anyone wants is for more people to be exposed to the virus.

This means that the pressure on football to return must be relaxed, this pressure is most likely financial. Those involved with the resumption of any sport must not be beholden to broadcasters or club owners who fear major losses.

During this period it’s vital that the mentality of clubs being run "as businesses" takes a backseat. Safeguarding the future of football for the fans that built it up to be the institution we see today is the priority.

Null and AVOID

Since football was first suspended there has been an opinion among many fans that the fairest thing to do is to declare the 2019/20 season null and void.

There is a glaringly obvious reason why this was suggested. If you look at the Premier League & Championship tables you will see Liverpool FC and Leeds United at the top of each.

These two clubs have two of the most infamous fan bases in the world. The consensus hatred of Leed’s most likely dates back to Don Revie’s “Dirty Leeds” side of the 60/70’s.

Whereas the reason for the hatred of Liverpool is more blatant. The Heysel stadium disaster caused 39 deaths and saw English teams banned from European competitions for 5 years. A just reason for an underlying dislike of Liverpool FC.

With that in mind, to null and void the season would be a catastrophe.

The case of Andre Gomes’ injury against Tottenham will illustrate why. The Portuguese midfielder suffered a horrific fractured ankle back in November. The future of his career was under threat.

He returned to the pitch for Everton as a result of a huge amount of hard work, determination and dedication. The whole experience must have been extremely traumatic and taxing on both himself and his family.

For the league to then say that the game he was injured in and the games he worked so hard to return for were of no substance and would be wiped from history is incomprehensible.

On evaluating the different options I struggle to see any benefit whatsoever of wiping out the current season.

Those who have suggested this course of action, often do so because of personal agendas or have underestimated the impact that such action would have on the integrity of the game.

The only parties that benefit from a null and voided season would be those currently sat in the relegation zone. Essentially offering a lifeline for those whose performances this season have been sub-standard.

Whatever decision is made, it’s essential that positivity and success on the pitch is rewarded.

“The merit system”

Another popular suggestion has been a “merit system” of some sort. The most popular suggestion is a points per game table.

Although better than scrapping the season. This would also be unacceptable.

A points per game model is in effect, moving the goalposts.

At the start of the season it’s obvious to all teams that they will receive 3 points for a win and 1 point for a draw. They will then be put into a table based on the points they’ve accumulated and that is the measure of their success in a season.

Introducing another measure of success which was completely alien at the start of the season is completely unfair.

If the decision is to come up with a system in order to end the season fairly, what is the point in playing at all. If that’s what people want then play Football Manager! The unpredictable nature of football is what has made it so popular worldwide.

This season MUST be completed

With all things considered there is only one solution and that is to finish the season whenever it is safe to do so.

The chances are that we will lose some football off the back of this pandemic. To me it seems logical to sacrifice football in next year's season as opposed to this campaign which has had so much interest and resources invested in it.

It’s likely that this is the least financially viable option, but the bottom line is that football is about more than just money. It all boils down to protecting the integrity of the game.

Starting a new season for the sake of protecting broadcasting schedules and player contracts is not putting the best intentions of the game at heart.

All actions taken take this approach, once safety can be guaranteed of course.

Shambolic FIFA & UEFA

It always seemed to me that the above solution was the obvious course of action from the moment that football was suspended. An approach that almost all other industries have taken amid this pandemic.

However, a lack of leadership at the top of the game has seen this opportunity pass the game by.

Belgium (although prepared to make a U-turn) and France have taken it upon themselves to end their current campaigns whereas the gossip from Germany is that they are working hard to try to play out the current season.

UEFA had to grab the bull by the horns when the outbreak began to ensure that all major European leagues sing from the same hymn sheet. We now have a situation where leagues may be on different timelines which causes unnecessary scheduling problems for when the European competitions return.

The timeline for football resuming is unknown at this moment. If the football calendar has to be rearranged and player contracts have to be restructured in order to ensure that the resumption of the 2019/20 season is as seamless as possible, then that is a small price to pay.

Fans have been critical of FIFA & UEFA in the past for a number of reasons and their handling (or lack of) of this situation might be the straw that broke the camel’s back.

As a result of a blatant lack of leadership from FIFA & UEFA leagues has resulted in a loss of control of this situation.

It is now that we will be able to see if the passion for football amongst those at the top of the game runs as deep as their pockets.