Premier League games might be played behind closed doors amidst coronavirus concerns

The Premier League and Football Association have held talks with the British government over the recent coronavirus outbreak.

These organisations are planning to ban large gatherings at stadiums during Premier League games. In case the virus spreads, there is a huge possibility that behind-closed-doors games might be conducted.

The recent coronavirus outbreak is showing no sign of slowing down, as more than 89,000 people across 58 countries have already been infected. In the meantime, the global death toll has exceeded 3,000.

The outbreak has already caused havoc in the European sporting fraternity, as multiple events have been affected by fears regarding the virus.

Meanwhile, numerous high-profile sports events such as athletics, boxing, badminton, golf, formula one, tennis, and rugby have been cancelled to avoid unfortunate consequences.

Football matches in China have all been postponed. Several top-flight Serie A games in Italy were also postponed over the weekend. It's expected that most of those cancelled games are to be played in front of empty stands since the Italian government has banned any large-scale gatherings.

The FA has already posed an objection to hosting a friendly international between England and Italy at Wembley on March 27. Concerns over the organisation of Euro 2020 is also growing, as the summer tournament is to be held all over Europe.

With the spread of coronavirus in Europe, football in England can be impacted.

Daily Mail reported that both the FA and the league authorities could ban football fans from attending live matches. This move, along with some other precautions would be taken as means to prevent the mass spread of coronavirus.

Right now, as the report claims, these organisations are paying close attention to the implications and costs that would be involved in the scenario. The entire decision now depends on the government's public health advisory.

In case the public is not allowed to enter the stadium premises during league games, it would indeed result in huge financial losses for the clubs and also the league organisers.

The FA has also acknowledged that there's a possibility of payments to the lower-division clubs in case their games are held behind closed doors. This is because the lower-division sides generally rely on ticket revenue far more than the Premier League clubs.

At the moment, the health of the footballers and the prevention of coronavirus contamination is what the organisations are aiming for.