Udinese chief Marino says Premier League will cancel rest of season

  /  autty

The Premier League will follow Belgium's top flight and cancel the rest of its season, according to Udinese sporting director Pierpaolo Marino.

With Liverpool 25 points clear atop the table, the Premier League was suspended last month due to the coronavirus pandemic. Last week, the league announced that its suspension would continue indefinitely.

Many leagues around the world have been brought to a standstill, with Belgium's Jupiler Pro League having cancelled the rest of its campaign and awarded the title to leaders Club Brugge.

Marino, whose club are owned by Giampaolo Pozzo – the father of Watford owner Gino, believes England will do likewise.

“The Belgian Federation has already sanctioned the end of their league, despite the threats of sanctions from UEFA,” Marino told Sportitalia.

“In England, the Premier League is about to release a similar statement, because the situation there is becoming very, very serious. I frankly just hope we can enjoy football again after the coronavirus.

“It doesn’t matter how long it takes, we need to get out of this danger zone. I am worried for the next seasons, not the old one.”

Marino could eventually be proven correct, as FA chairman Greg Clarke admitted on Tuesday that it may not be possible to complete the 2019-20 campaign.

“We are committed to finishing the professional football season as this resolves the issues of promotion and relegation together with title winners on merit," Clarke told the FA's official website.

"However, we may not be able to finish the season as football is not our priority, human life is, and we will do as the government directs as the pandemic unfolds."

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