The EFL have issued a new statement regarding the return of football with the news of the coronavirus.
A meeting was held today between representatives of all three divisions, and an agreement has been made that the current 2019/20 season will be completed as planned, subject to public health.
A £50million relief package has been made available to ease the strains on the clubs during these testing times after the EFL initially postponed matches until April 3.
There have been numerous options as to how to continue the season, including playing behind closed doors, but the authorities believe it best to wait it out after confirming their preference is to see the season come to a complete end.
The statement read: “The primary objective, in order to protect competition integrity, is to deliver a successful conclusion to the 2019/20 season, subject to the over-riding priority around health and well-being.
“Plans continue to be developed on the agreed principle that it is in the best interests of the EFL and clubs to complete the current season at the appropriate time.”
The issue of playing behind closed doors would be the lack of gate receipts, but this was also highlighted. With many problems in the short-term, the league intend to bring forward payments to clubs, while also making interest-free loans available.
The statement added: “The cash injection is included as part of a series of measures, that includes potential government support to help clubs and their associated businesses through this period of uncertainty.
“The EFL welcomes last night’s announcement made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and is continuing discussions to understand how our clubs can access the funding made available to support businesses.”
