Football's return 'good for everyone' - Jose Mourinho

Tottenham manr Jose Mourinho believes bringing football back, even behind closed doors, would be a much-needed morale boost for fans starved of action during coronavirus crisis. Premier League games have been played since March 9 due to pandemic, which has claimed more than 26,000 British lives. Dutch football chiefs have called an end to Eredivisie season while French sports minister Roxana Maracineanu on Thursday called for French league to end Ligue 1 season.

England's top-flight clubs are due to meet on Friday with "Project Restart" at top of ir nda. y will discuss how y can complete season despite logistical difficulties. "I miss football," Mourinho told Sky Sports from Tottenham Hotspur stadium, which has been transformed to house a testing centre, outpatient services for a local hospital and a food distribution hub. "But I prefer to say I miss our world, like I think we all do. Football is just part of my world. But we have to be patient, this is a fight that we all have to fight." 

Even if matches can return, y will be played behind closed doors for foreseeable future to minimise risk of spreading virus. Mourinho, though, believes players will still be putting on a show for millions watching around world.

"If we play remaining nine matches this season it will be good for every one of us," he said. "It will be good for football, for Premier League.

"If we play football behind closed doors I'd like to think that football is never behind closed doors.

"With cameras, it means that millions and millions are watching. So if one day we walk into this empty stadium, it will t be empty, t at all." 

Kane back?

Prior to shutdown, Mourinho said he could t wait for season to end due to a debilitating list of injuries. Yet Spurs could make a late run to finish in top four should campaign get back under way, with Harry Kane, Moussa Sissoko, Steven Bergwijn and Son Heung-min -- who is completing a short period of national service -- w recovered from injury. "y are recovered from ir injuries, so Harry Kane is t injured, Moussa Sissoko is t injured, Steven Bergwijn is t injured, but it is one thing t to be injured, it's ar thing to be ready to play football," Mourinho added. "For m it is many, many, many weeks of injury and when injuries were almost at an end, we stopped training. "I don't kw, y don't kw, we have to wait for official and right permission for players to train again in groups to see if y can come back to a rmal competition level." 

Im credits: AP