Cash, Chaos, and the Beautiful Game: The Covid Shake-Up Reshaping Football’s Future

Sign up to Miguel Delaney's Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for free. In an unsettling turn of events that was both dreaded and expected, senior figures in the football world found themselves grappling with a shocking announcement. March 13, 2020, will be seared into the memory of many, as it marked the moment Mikel Arteta became the first prominent figure in English football to test positive for Covid-19. From that instant, the landscape of the sport was irrevocably altered. Reflecting on those tumultuous days, club officials often recall the crushing uncertainty and frantic pace at which decisions had to be made. The inaugural shutdown of football, which ironically falls its fifth anniversary this week, was more than just disorienting; it was as though the very fabric of reality had been suspended. This was particularly poignant, as the consequences of that moment echoed through all levels of the sport and continue to shape its present. Arteta's diagnosis was a pivotal moment. Following Arsenal's Europa League exit at the hands of Olympiakos, it became evident that the Basque manager displayed symptoms aligned with the virus. Compounding the issue was the lack of immediate testing, leaving Arsenal to navigate numerous potential complications. The Premier League swiftly had to be notified that Arsenal would not be making the trip to Manchester City that upcoming weekend, due to potential exposure of the entire football staff. This cancellation set off a chain reaction that rippled through the football community. Just the week before, Portsmouth had played host to Arsenal in the FA Cup, raising concerns for Accrington Stanley ahead of their own match at Fratton Park. An undeniable sentiment swept through the football pyramid: many clubs were considering refusing to play. Additionally, the ongoing controversy surrounding the Cheltenham Festival, which had proceeded as planned from March 10-13 while the virus spread, added to the atmosphere of apprehension. The revelation of Callum Hudson-Odoi's positive test at Chelsea ultimately left English football with no option but to postpone all competitions. “Everything moved very quickly, but my strongest memory is one of calm,” recalled Rick Parry, EFL chair. “We had to make rapid decisions and ensure they were effective.” As the Covid-19 pandemic took hold, what is particularly notable is that the initial decisions made by football's governing bodies ran counter to the UK government's guidelines. On the Thursday prior to the Olympiakos match, the Conservative government was still keen on continuity, believing there was enough financial muscle in the game to assist lower leagues—an argument all too familiar in football discussions. Yet this stance shifted dramatically after a pivotal Cobra meeting of senior government officials, during which it was communicated that the situation regarding stadium attendance might have been seriously “misread.” The moment that news broke indicated football would soon witness a drastic shift in government policy. The consequences of that Arsenal match might have appeared trivial next to the mounting death toll, yet it resonated deeply within broader societal changes. What now rings far more poignant in the realm of football is the enduring impact of the Covid-19 shutdown. Given the shocking circumstances, it’s hardly surprising. Just a day after the WHO advised Uefa not to label the situation as a pandemic, they reversed course, coinciding with fans pouring into Anfield for Liverpool's Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid. Football, much like the rest of society, swiftly transitioned from observing an encroaching global crisis to witnessing it unfold in real time within their own communities. An executive from an Italian club was left staggered upon discovering his Premier League counterpart was still commuting via public transport. This was all occurring shortly after Atalanta had hosted Valencia in a Champions League fixture that the mayor of Bergamo described as a “biological bomb”—a description that soon materialised as the city became Europe's epicentre. England would taste its own slice of calamity in the form of that Liverpool-Atleti encounter, during which Diego Costa ignited a minor scandal by feigning a cough in front of reporters. Costa's actions drew harsh criticism, for every one was operating on a knife-edge. Beneath the veneer of public safety concerns lay discussions at the top echelons of football regarding an “existential threat” to the game. The very essence of what made football thrive—playing matches—had been jeopardised. On March 17, Uefa convened an emergency meeting where they ultimately decided unilaterally to suspend matches. However, most domestic leagues had already begun to take action. The consensus was to pause, with the hope of resuming fixtures to complete ongoing seasons and uphold broadcasting contracts. Yet, with the ongoing crisis escalating, it soon became apparent that a mere pause would not suffice. This initiated a commendable period marked by collective action and solidarity. Fifa paused its planned expansion of the Club World Cup to allow for adjustment in the calendar, while Uefa deferred both the men's and women's European Championships for a year, granting club competitions some breathing room. Uefa president Alexander Ceferin garnered praise for his decisive leadership by dipping into reserves to assist national associations—a feat that would require even more fortitude in the months ahead. As the push to stage matches picked up momentum, club executives brainstormed myriad strategies, including isolated training camps in the Midlands, as the idea of “Project Restart” began to crystallise. Club staff suddenly found themselves focused on keeping players fit, leading to the surreal sight of international stars working out in local parks. Studies were commissioned by companies such as StatSports to analyse vital statistics, like the length of close-contact interactions between players during matches—imposing a precise duration of three seconds as the threshold for risk. “What we observed was a remarkable sense of unity, with clubs rallying together,” Parry remarked. That camaraderie was especially noticeable among lower-league clubs, though it waned significantly at the elite level. As arrangements for fans to gradually return to stadiums began, the controversies surrounding wealthy clubs benefiting from government furlough schemes foreshadowed the infighting that would soon engulf the sport. When the detailed planning for “Restart” commenced, Manchester United’s then executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward contrasted the situation with American sports while speaking to club co-owner Joel Glazer. Compared to the NFL’s efficient, two-part meetings solely focused on logistics and broadcasting, the Premier League found itself embroiled in a staggering 20 hours of negotiations each week, mired in individual agendas. Liverpool was fixated on clinching their first title in three decades, while the bottom six clubs—led by voices such as Aston Villa's Christian Purslow, West Ham's Karren Brady, and Brighton's Paul Barber—were vehemently opposed to potentially facing relegation under altered circumstances. The Premier League found itself in a peculiar dilemma: so much value was tied to staying in the top flight that games were at risk of being left unplayed. The phrase “null and void” became a familiar refrain during that period. This controversy intertwined with growing resistance to Saudi Arabia’s attempts to acquire Newcastle United, a saga that stretched far beyond the restrictions of Covid. In the end, football discovered a way forward. Germany led the charge and made history, which inspired a memorable quip from then Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho during a Premier League meeting filled with apprehensive coaches: “If you don’t want to play, stay home and watch the Bundesliga!” The Premier League eventually mirrored this movement, orchestrating matches that fans could not attend—but could watch, thanks to ubiquitous broadcasting. Meanwhile, the Champions League reached its conclusion with an innovative condensed tournament in Lisbon. These unprecedented developments led many senior figures to reflect on the current reality… - Resource: "https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/covid-lockdown-premier-league-football-b2713797.html