The Premier League is edging closer to returning after all 20 clubs voted unanimously to resume contact training. This is Phase Two of Project Restart.
“Squads are now able to train as a group and engage in tackling while minimizing any unnecessary close contact,” the league said in a statement made today.
Premier League Teams to Resume Contact Training
Premier League Return Date
The UK government has given football the green light to resume on June 1. However, the targeted date for the Premier League to resume is on June 20. Project Restart took a huge step forward with this announcement.
Phase One already allowed for small, socially-distanced training sessions. This step allows for squads “to train as a group and engage in tackling while minimizing any unnecessary close contact,” according to the statement.
Cancelling games could cost the league at least £1 billion, said chief executive Richard Masters. This is part of the reason why the Premier League has rejected calls to curtail the season.
And they aren’t the only league to take this action. The German Bundesliga has already returned. In addition, La Liga will start playing again on June 8.
However, COVID-19 has hit the UK worse than those two countries. It currently has 267,000 cases and 37,460 deaths – the highest total in Europe.
Players will continue to get tested twice a week as safeguarding for the coronavirus.
Player’s Reaction
Some players seem genuinely excited by this step in Project Restart.
“The lads have been dying to get in and when they’ve been doing the sessions, there’s been a really good intensity,” Jordan Henderson said in a Guardian interview. “Hopefully it’s not too long before we can get back to full training in bigger groups. I think after a few weeks of proper training we’ll be right back where we left off.”
However, not everyone shares his enthusiasm. Watford captain Troy Deeney has refused to train – he is concerned about exposing his young son who has breathing difficulties to the virus.
The Premier League is entering into unprecedented territory. No one knows if the league will be successful and any consequences could be disastrous.
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