LONDON: The green light for the Premier League’s return owes much to a political will for the national game to lift spirits in the country hardest hit by coronavirus in Europe.
Suspected and confirmed deaths from coronavirus in Britain passed 50,000 according to analysis from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) this week.
Restrictions on personal freedoms remain in place, while plans to reopen schools to all pupils in England have been shelved until September.
Yet, on Wednesday, Premier League stars will return to live action with the government reveling in its role to ensure 33 of the remaining 92 games of the season will be shown on free-to-air platforms.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson told parliament last month that the return of live sport to television “could provide a much-needed boost to national morale.”
On the day June 17 was set as the date for the Premier League’s return, Oliver Dowden, secretary of state for sport, said football had a “special place in our national life.”
However, the Premier League has not enjoyed such political backing throughout the course of the pandemic.
In the early weeks of April as clubs scrambled to respond to a sudden drop in revenue, Liverpool and Tottenham were among the top-flight teams that signaled their intent to use the government’s furlough scheme for nonplaying staff.
The scheme, designed to protect jobs once lockdowns are lifted, has seen the government cover the cost of 80 percent of wages up to a maximum of 2,500 ($3,100) a month per employee.
Yet, the sight of last season’s two Champions League finalists using tax payers’ money without cutting the wages of players provoked a furious reaction.
Conservative MP Julian Knight accused the Premier League of a “moral vacuum.”
At a daily news briefing at the height of the crisis, even Health Secretary Matt Hancock told Premier League players to “take a pay cut and play their part.”
Both clubs bowed to public pressure and quickly reversed their decision to use the scheme.
“When the furlough scheme and the discussions around player salaries and taking pay cuts arose, my feeling was that was opportunistic on the part of government and actually very cynical,” Prof. Simon Chadwick, director of Eurasian Sport at Emlyon business school told AFP.
“Within weeks the government had flipped again and suddenly this is important for national well-being, social cohesion and national identity, providing a diversion from the pandemic.
“This was the government using football to achieve its own ends, rather than of football itself, or fans and the population.”
English Premier League becomes ‘a political football’
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English Premier League becomes ‘a political football’
- The scheme, designed to protect jobs once lockdowns are lifted, has seen the government cover the cost of 80 percent of wages up to a maximum of 2,500 ($3,100) a month per employee
Mbappé equals ‘idol’ Ronaldo with his record 59th goal in a year for Real Madrid
- “It’s incredible, in my first (full) year to do what Cristiano did. (He’s) my idol, the best player in the history of Real Madrid,” Mbappé said
BARCELONA, Spain: Kylian Mbappé scored his 59th goal for Real Madrid in 2025 on Saturday to equal the club record for the most in a year held by Cristiano Ronaldo.
The milestone was about to escape the France striker until he converted a penalty kick with four minutes left to complete a 2-0 win over 10-man Sevilla in Madrid’s final game of the year.
Mbappé matched Ronaldo’s tally from 2013 on his 27th birthday. After embracing his teammates, he marked the feat with a subdued version of Ronaldo’s trademark goal celebration — whereby the Portugal forward leaps up and thrusts his arms downwards upon landing — before blowing a kiss at the television cameras.
The former Paris Saint-Germain star, who joined Madrid in the summer of 2024, has scored 29 times for Madrid this season, including a league-leading 18.
“It’s incredible, in my first (full) year to do what Cristiano did. (He’s) my idol, the best player in the history of Real Madrid,” Mbappé said.
“My celebration is for him. I wanted to do that because he helped me adapt here and now I can help Madrid win games with my goals. I wanted to share it with him. I have a really good relationship with him, he is my friend, and I wish him and all Madrid fans a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.”
Jude Bellingham scored with a header in the 38th minute and Sevilla lost defender Marcao to a second booking for rash tackles with 20 minutes left.
Sevilla coach Matías Almeyda also was expelled by the referee during the halftime break apparently for protesting.
Alonso has been under pressure for several weeks due to a run of bad results and the overall lackluster play of his star-studded side. Spanish sports media is rife with speculation the first-year coach could be replaced.
Now Madrid club president Florentino Pérez will have two weeks to ponder the team’s future before its next game against Real Betis on Jan. 4.
Alonso could have ill afforded another slip at the Santiago Bernabeu after his side lost its previous two games. But Madrid’s fans still had reason to grumble after Sevilla repeatedly created scoring chances — even after being reduced to 10 men.
Alexis Sánchez, still spry at age 37, and right back Juanlu Sánchez stood out the most for a Sevilla side that poked holes in Madrid’s defense.
Madrid needed Thibaut Courtois to deny Alexis, Isaac Romero and Alfonso González on four strikes in the second half. But Sevilla could have gone ahead if it had just showed more finishing touch early on.
The result was still in doubt until Mbappé converted his spot kick after Juanlu fouled Rodrygo in the area.
Madrid is in second place at one point behind Barcelona before the leader visits third-placed Villarreal on Sunday.
