The Football Association is working with the Premier League, EFL and the government to consider how help can be provided to clubs falling into financial crisis during the suspension of the sport due to the coronavirus pandemic, the FA’s chief executive, Mark Bullingham, has said.
In interviews after the teleconference of all Europe’s national football associations with Uefa, at which the decision was taken to postpone this summer’s European Championship and try to finish domestic football seasons by 30 June if at all possible, Bullingham said: “There are some clubs, particularly at the lower end of the pyramid, that are going to struggle … We are having lots of conversations with both government and other football stakeholders about that. From our point of view, we’re a not-for-profit [organisation]; clearly the money we raise goes back into the game, we are definitely going to take a big financial hit, and we will therefore be able to put less back into the game at all levels.”
On a day the chancellor of the exchequer, Rishi Sunak, announced a £330bn loan guarantee package for British businesses as the financial impact of the widespread economic shutdown hit, Bullingham said the government was acknowledging the shock also being experienced by football.
“There are regular conversations going on; this is one of many different topics on the agenda obviously, but it’s also a big topic for government,” he said. “Government have repeatedly asked us to keep them informed of clubs that are having financial difficulties. It’s an issue for government and the football family. I can’t go into any more details at the moment.”
Jonas Baer-Hoffman, general secretary of Fifpro, the international players’ union, stressed after the teleconference that football was facing “an economic crisis” which could “turn ugly”, with huge layoffs and insolvencies, very quickly without a determined effort.
Bullingham reiterated the determination expressed by Uefa, the European Club Association, Premier League, EFL and European Leagues to use the time vacated by the Euros to finish the club season. “Lots of different scenarios” were being mapped out, he said, to try to complete competitions including the FA Cup, Champions League and Europa League, by 30 June if the course of the pandemic, health advice and government policies allow it.
Matches could be played behind closed doors if necessary, and they could go beyond 30 June if circumstances required it.
“Clearly, things get a lot harder post June 30 but honestly we are in such unprecedented times that nothing is off the table right now in terms of solutions being looked at,” Bullingham said.
After a recent period marked by political and financial turf wars over the future format of the Champions League and other competitions, Bullingham, like the Uefa president, Aleksander Ceferin, and other senior administrators, said the game’s different bodies had come together in a genuine spirit of collaboration to address the crisis. “The unity at a domestic level and international level has been fantastic,” he said. “From my point of view, the football family has really come together in the discussions we’ve been having.”