By Nikos Papanikolaou
Arsenal fans have mixed feelings about the potential shut down of the Premier League because of the coronavirus spread. As of today, the government along with the Football Association haven’t decided anything, meaning that the League will continue until further notice.
“It makes sense, you know? I mean, I hate to miss Arsenal’s games but this is above everything at the moment. We have to be protected,” said Charlie Mason, 45, shop owner and an Arsenal fan.
The possible scenario is to continue the League but allow matches to be played behind closed doors. However, that means that the clubs will lose millions of pounds from the tickets’ refunds and, potentially, sponsors.
“It’s catastrophic. They can keep playing, but they can have a limit of people who can attend in a football match, for example, if the capacity is 30k they can allow only 10k, that will be better than no fans at all,” said Raheem Dones, 19, student and Arsenal fan.
Italy, Greece and France have already decided to keep the leagues running but behind closed doors, as a precaution for the coronavirus spread. UEFA has also decided to have some games behind closed doors, such as Champions League and Europa League games. Premier League has already banned handshakes between players and managers.
“At the end of the day, public health is more important than football. It’s something I have never experienced before. It is scary, but we have to remain optimistic and positive,” said James Hughes, 65, pensioner.
The FA Cup final is scheduled for 23 May, and the Champions League final in Istanbul is due to be played seven days after that. Euro 2020 starts on 12 June.
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