Manchester great Rio Ferdinand has called for the 2019/2020 season to be null and void due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Football in England has been suspended until April 30 but a return to action is expected to be delayed even further with the death toll in the country rising.
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And Ferdinand says the health of the public must come before any personal gain amid talk of a season restart.
“Times like this do push it home how important sport, contact and communication is when you are isolated and alone with your immediate family,” Ferdinand told BT Sport:
“But we have to take into consideration football is just a game. As seriously as we all take it, the bigger picture is what is going on out in society.
“I’m sure in my own mind that if it’s not going to be an immediate fix in the next few weeks then the season needs to be voided and started again next season afresh.”
The Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Club World Cup winner with United added: “A lot of people like Liverpool fans will always say, “Oh that’s because you don’t want Liverpool to win the league.
“Listen, if my team was in that situation I would think about people’s health and the wider society rather than my own gain.
“And this is a situation where I think exactly the same no matter who’s going to go up, who’s potentially going to go down, who could have won the league and who could have finished in the Champions League positions.
“I think across the board, it’s much more clearer, black and white, and just void the season and start again afresh.
“And there are going to be people disappointed, and there are going to be people that are probably more satisfied with that.
“But whichever way you go you’re going to be disappointing people and there’s going to be people that are more happy with the situation when you do it.
“So not everyone can win in this situation and that’s just a fact.”
4 Comments
Well said Ferdinand.
What’s wrong with the current suspension and start where it stoped after the crisis is over. Why would anyone think of voiding the league and start afresh? What’s the difference in continuing when the crisis is over and starting afresh? After almost 29 league games some want the league cancelled? That will be unfair to a club that is far apart from the rest on the log (a whooping 25 points gap). Liverpool deserves the league and it is better to start where it stopped after everything about this COVID-19 is over. I am a Chelsea fan and I surrender to Liverpool on this one. Immediately this phase/challenge is over, everyone picks from where they stopped and continue (at work, on business investment, contracts, construction, law cases, friendship, etc). No one cancels and restarts unless that thing isn’t working or it’s a failure. My opinion!
I don’t think they should cancel the season .The situation is not going to be there forever.Is he saying it coz Liverpool are about to win the league or does he really care .Let them finish it or else award it to Liverpool and then the teams battling relegation can go on a playoff
Liverpool have won this session squarely without contest , if they will start all over fine , but then , they should award this session to Liverpool .Any contrary view is to rob Liverpool of their had earned trophy, not with waiting for the said for over 30years !!!…by the way am a Chelsea fan!