Premier League clubs have promised to finish this season - no matter how long it takes.
They fully accept that dozens of games could be played behind closed doors just to complete the fixture list.
And, incredibly, there is even a fear among some clubs that NEXT SEASON could start in empty stadiums until the coronavirus crisis is over.
The 20 Premier League clubs dialled in to the video conference call via Skype which was led by the league’s interim chair Claudia Arney and were in unanimous agreement they must finish this season.
They have postponed all football in England until April 30 after joint agreement with the EFL and backing from the Football Association who have also agreed to indefinitely push back the traditional June 1 end of season date.
That has given both the Premier League and EFL licence to finish their games whenever they can - and that is driven by lucrative multi-billion pound TV contracts which they simply cannot afford to put in jeopardy.
While April 30 would still seem ambitious to start football again because the virus is not supposed to peak for weeks yet, there is a belief games could start again on the weekend of May 2 and 3.
They would almost certainly have to be behind closed doors and it is understood there was a general acceptance on the conference call - which lasted two hours and 15 minutes - that games will start again with no fans to reduce the risk.
The rationale behind saying all football is off until April 30 is that it is designed to encourage clubs to give players a rest and keep them away from training grounds where they could potentially pick up the virus.
Also, if they get a rest now it may allow a shorter turnaround from the end of this season to starting the next campaign. It is understood that July 12 - originally when the Euros final was going to be played - was also mentioned as a potential key date where the season could finish.
There will be a lengthy delay but it means that Liverpool will be crowned champions, promotion and relegation will be decided along with the Champions League places.
UEFA did postpone Euro 2020 by a year earlier this week and urge leagues to finish their seasons by June 30 but that would seem unlikely for English football as the virus has yet to reach its peak in this country.
But they have decided this season must be competed with every game being played before next season can begin - and they still do not have a clear idea when that might be, although finishing in July could pave the way for next season to kick off in August.
