Premier League Return Could Be Blocked as 'Up to 50 Players' May Revolt Against Project Restart
By Max Cooper
Premier League clubs fear that up to 50 players could reject the idea of the season recommencing, as officials attempt to lay the foundations of their plan to put 'Project Restart' into action.
Fixtures across the United Kingdom were suspended at the beginning of April, as the coronavirus began to take hold up and down the nation. But while football in France and the Netherlands has been cancelled for the foreseeable future, the Premier League is determined to make its return.
And although many will be in favour of this bold move, it's unlikely that the officials will be able to get everyone onside with the proposition of restarting training and matches behind closed doors. In fact, clubs fear that up to 50 players may be unwilling to take to the field in the coming months, risking the cancellation of the whole season, according to The Mirror.
One Premier League club believes that 'two or three' players from each side will be against 'Project Restart', making it almost impossible to get the fixtures back underway. Manchester City star Sergio Aguero has already expressed his concerns over the idea, claiming players are 'scared' of returning to action while the coronavirus is still spreading across the country.
Another player has stated he will refuse to play during the pandemic, as he fears for the safety of his six-week-old baby, and for loved ones who suffer from underlying health issues.
Brighton chief executive Paul Barber has also admitted that some of his playing staff have voiced their own fears over returning to action, including one footballer whose partner has a 'serious medical condition'.
“We have a player whose partner has a serious medical condition – we need to understand if he doesn’t want to play or refuses to play where we stand on that. We also need to understand what the players’ feelings are on whatever protocol we agree.
“There are so many pieces of this jigsaw that are yet to really be put in front of us in order to form a complete picture that it is very difficult to answer that question."
The United Kingdom has experienced one of the highest number of deaths related to the virus in all of Europe, and the major concern is that football is being rushed back ahead of public safety.