Man City’s Gundogan wants Premier League title given to Liverpool if season cannot be finished
Ilkay Gundogan has said it would be “fair” to give Liverpool the title if the season cannot be finished due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Premier League has been postponed until the 30th April at the earliest, although it appears increasingly likely that the season will not be completed until the summer, if at all.
Are Liverpool cursed? Five things to know…
- Liverpool currently sit 25 points clear at the top of the Premier League.
- They are yet to win a PL title.
- Last season, they amassed 97 points (the third-highest points total in PL history) and lost just one game…
- …but still finished second.
- If the league was to be voided, they are likely to miss out on the trophy once again.
The Reds are just two wins away from confirming their first-ever Premier League title. Premier League clubs are due to meet on April 3rd to discuss the future of the top flight, with the expectation being that the current restart date will get pushed back further.
Last week saw all non-league divisions declared null and void with no exceptions. This meant that Jersey Bulls, who had won all 27 of their league games so far in Combined Counties Division One, will not be handed the title nor promotion. This news will certainly have worried Klopp and Co.
The FA have a few options regarding the future of the English professional game — what they will choose to do remains to be seen.
However, regardless of the governing body’s choice, Gundogan believes that Manchester City’s title rivals should be handed the trophy in the summer anyway.
When asked by German broadcaster ZDF whether or not the trophy should be sent to Anfield, the midfielder replied: “For me, that would be OK, yes.
“You have to be fair as a sportsperson.”
The German midfielder was also quick to acknowledge just how difficult a decision it will be for the FA, who risk angering teams at either end of the table.
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He added: “There are different opinions. For clubs who have had a very good season, it obviously wouldn’t be nice if it was cancelled now.
“On the other hand, for clubs who aren’t doing as well and are maybe in the relegation places, an abandonment would obviously suit them.”
What next for the Premier League?
Although the league is meant to restart on April 30th at the time of writing, it is becoming increasingly clear that this will not happen.
With the country currently on lockdown, mass gatherings like that of a Premier League game are likely to be prohibited for the foreseeable future, meaning the FA must think of alternative solutions on how to finish the season.
There come obvious problems with voiding the current season, particularly for the likes of Liverpool, Leeds United and West Brom, who were just weeks away from huge domestic success. If those clubs are granted the title or promotion, where do you draw the line when it comes to the playoffs, the top four or relegation?
Premier League clubs have reportedly discussed the idea of having ‘World Cup style’ isolation camps in the midlands, where the rest of the season could be played out behind closed doors, but these talks are at a very early stage.
Right now, however, no one knows what the future holds for the Premier League.