Coronavirus spells uncertainty for footballers and clubs

Drastic measures to help curb spre of coronavirus have plunged football into crisis, with leagues across Europe suspended and uncertainty over when play will resume. A UEFA meeting on Tuesday bringing toger Europe's 55 member associations is widely expected to delay Euro 2020, which was due to start in June. That could free up some in calendar for national leagues and European club competitions to be completed in summer months.

approach favoured by officials, players and pundits is to finish league seasons whenever it is safe to do so. "For European leagues it is most essential that domestic competitions can be completed this season, to limit negative impact for entire football ecosystem," said European Leagues, which represents more than 950 clubs from 29 countries. La Liga president Javier Tebas said on Sunday he was "convinced" Spanish domestic league season would be played to a finish despite a state of emergency in country. However, re are extra complications with extending season beyond its tritional end point in May for every layer of football pyramid.

Out of contract?

Player contracts and loan deals are a major stumbling block should season be postponed into July or beyond as many expire in May and June. Among big names in Premier League whose deals expire at end of June are Chelsea trio Olivier Giroud, Willian and Pedro Rodriguez and Jan Vertonghen of Tottenham. However, it is furr down leagues where impact could be more drastic.

Football League clubs, many of whom will struggle to survive a couple of months without gate receipts, have far greater numbers of players out of contract. In extreme cases, some would even struggle to field a team with players still under contract come July. Short-term extensions have been proposed should this scenario come to pass but clubs may t even get to June with eugh money to pay players and staff.

" main issue for those clubs is cash flow," said football finance expert Kieran Maguire.

"Many clubs are surviving on a match-to-match basis and are reliant on loyal few thousand turning up.

"Even if matches are postponed we have a three-week gap for certain so how will clubs pay ws and ir suppliers?" Even before virus caused chaos across globe, finances of many Football League clubs were perilous.

Bury went bust in August after 125 years in Football League and only a last-minute takeover prevented Bolton from going same way. "We could definitely see casualties here," said former banker Fausto Zanetton, who runs a crowdfunding platform for clubs to acquire investment with former Italy international and Chelsea manr Gianluca Vialli. Steven are one of clubs to have entered into an agreement with Zanetton and Vialli's Tifosy platform. League Two side, rooted to foot of table, face relegation even if season recommences, and chairman Phil Wallace mitted on Monday y could be forced to brink by an extended lay-off. "We have idea how club can survive whilst paying players and staff with income," said Wallace.

Im credits: AP