by Tony Attwood
According to a report in the Guardian, the president of La Liga has announced that he is certain that Spanish League can be completed by 30 June.
It is an issue of course because if it is not completed then the question arises of who gets the places in the next European competitions. So they are waiting and hoping to be able to start playing again around the middle of May.
This might seem a bit bizarre given that Italy and Spain have both reported their biggest single-day death tolls from the coronavirus.
According to the Guardian, in Spain, “the death toll rose to 1,002, a highest-ever increase of 235 in 24 hours. The latest statistics showed 19,980 confirmed cases across the country, more than a third in Madrid. Army specialists are to help disinfect care homes after the virus claimed more than 50 lives at elderly care facilities across the region.”
So yes, talk of starting football up again in two months seems a bit premature, not least because the players will need three weeks or more of full time training prior to that.
But what to do in the meantime? How to keep the players occupied? How to keep the fans happy? Ah, here’s an answer, first mentioned (would you believe it) on Untold Arsenal.
Spain’s 20 first division teams are going to play each other – on PlayStation.
One player from each club is nominated and the players will play each other live online, while the top Spanish broadcasters provide a commentary. And the money is not going to the players or the clubs but to support the endlessly overworked medical staff.
By adopting this competition, La Liga has given it official status, and with the word now out, players from other countries are also looking at developing the idea.
In Christophe Jost’s article “Arsenal make preparations for football in a post-virus world” published on 19 March, this was the future that we envisaged. And in the first of such games that have gone online live, there has been quite an audience.
So enthusiastic have some club players become that there has had to be an internal knock out competitions to see which player represents a particular team. Football commentators were likewise keen to jump on the bandwagon and offer their services.
A draw has been made in which the bottom clubs from La Liga enter a knockout competition to whittle their number down to four, and they will then join the top either clubs from the actual league itself in the main knockout competition. It is expected that the audiences will be huge.
But then what? In a typical scenario, other leagues and other clubs will join in. Soon there will be overkill and then the idea fizzles away, eventually to be replaced by something new.
And all the while underneath this activity and pazzazz there is the thought, when does the real football start again?
The latest thinking in England is that we could be in lockdown for a year, as there are fears that the coronavirus could mutate and return with even more vengeance. If there are any more delays then the doomsday scenario we have been talking about will start to happen.
But then, if any country does manage to make itself virus-free, and find a way of stopping the virus from re-entering, it could find itself suddenly at the centre of all football attention.
As for completing the Spanish League, or any league come to that by the end of June, I rather doubt it.
The lack of Football is a real concern BUT by far, less important than the looming economic crisis as more and more people are laid-off from failing organisations (both sports and corporate entities) and your incompetent, waffling, ignoramuses ¨leading¨ your government’s miserable efforts to halt the pandemic. As well, the crucial healthcare workers who are the real heros of this pantomime are being underfunded, neglected and overworked because your vacillating and cowardly politicians don’t have their priorities straight, as usual.
Screw Football, screw the sweet FA and the EPL and the ministry of sports, people’s lives and livelihoods are immediately threatened and seem to be a minor inconvenience to the powers that be.
Also screw the PIGMOB!
Another day of nobody in The (sweet) FA, UEFA and FIFA starting to clear out the corruption since there is nothing to do. The figure we are all too worried about the virus, that they continue to pretend there are not problems. Another day of PGMO continuing to exist, and no news articles about corruption in officiating. Such as referees allowing dangerous play to be directed at Arsenal players, so that Arsneal has a more difficult time forming the Bromances in defence being talked about elsewhere.
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Felli-elbows (Belgian player formerly at ManUre) has the virus, as does Maldini and his son. Good luck in recovery.
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Anderlecht have fired an assistant coach to save money.
The Star supposedly doing commentary on the “Official” FA Cup simulation of us visiting Sheffield.
It can’t be official. It may not matter who is refereeing to Sheffield, it is terribly important to us. If nothing else, it speaks to the chances of our players getting injured, especially from fouls not called.
Two dumb simulations going out there. Two different half time scores. Neither one tells us who the referee is. No Arsenal players getting hacked down and no fouls called.