Uefa chief Ceferin ‘sure’ fans will return to stadiums ‘very soon’ despite fears of 12 months behind-closed-doors
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UEFA chief Aleksander Ceferin is "absolutely sure" fans will be back in stadiums "very soon" despite fears football faces 12 months of being played behind-closed-doors.
The Bundesliga became the first major league to return and bring some lockdown respite for footy fans - albeit behind closed doors with only stadium workers and officials in the stands.
The Premier League is hoping to restart on June 12 and will do so behind closed doors and quite possibly NOT at neutral stadiums.
Top-flight sides have been warned that games may have to go without fans for up to a year.
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And players are set to face 14 days in hotel quarantine before top-flight football can return.
The 20 clubs “unanimously” agreed at their latest shareholder meeting that all teams can now enter “Stage One” of the training protocols.
That will allow basic non-contact drills as individuals or groups of no more than five per pitch, with staggered arrival times and all equipment disinfected before and after use.
The decision is the first step towards a potential return to action but League medical chief Mark Gillett warned: “It’s very clear the public and social health situation is not going to change in the next six to 12 months.
“It is important that people understand that they will have to see these cultural changes.”
Ceferin, however, is confident that it won't be long until live crowds are to be welcomed back into stadiums, despite the daily surge of the global death toll.
When asked why he felt the disease would not impact football in the long-run, Ceferin told : "It's a serious situation but it is going down now and we are being more cautious.
"We know more about the virus and in general I'm an optimistic person.
"I don't like this apocalyptic view that we have to wait for the second and third waves or even a fifth wave … people you know are likely to die one day, but do we have to be worried today? I don't think so.
"We are ready and we will follow the recommendations of the authorities but I'm absolutely sure, personally, that good old football with fans will come back very soon."
While the return of Germany's top flight was welcomed by most, some footie fans on social media likened the live action as being akin to "training sessions".
Even Crystal Palace defender Patrick van Aanholt tweeted: "Watching this Dortmund Schalke game, it's just not the same without fans energy is all out of sync."
Many Premier League sides have also expressed concerns over the financial impact of the coronavirus crisis on the sport going forward.
But Ceferin believes the game will return to "normal" sooner than some people predict.
He added: "I don't think that anything will change for ever,
"It's a new experience and when we get rid of this b****y virus things will go back to normal.
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"Football didn't change after the Second World War, or First World War, and it will not change because of a virus either."
When Germany returned to action last weekend players spent a week in secluded hotels between training sessions, which they were not allowed to leave.
Government guidelines in this country mean Premier League players may have to spend TWICE as long in hotel quarantine.