FA chairman Greg Clarke has laid bare the financial crisis facing the governing body by revealing expected losses of £300million.
In a letter to the FA Council, Clarke said budget cuts of at least £75m would be necessary this year and potentially in the next three years due to the pandemic.
The FA earned £70.6m from events at Wembley last year and are expected to miss out on broadcast revenue from postponed England fixtures, while this season’s FA Cup remains in jeopardy.
“The Board has agreed that a sensible cut to the annual budget is £75m,” Clarke wrote. “In a worst-case scenario, this would be necessary for the next four years to offset a £300m deficit.”
Clarke said all games could be behind closed doors for the foreseeable future. “With social distancing in place for some time to come, we face substantial changes to the football ecosystem,” he said.
“It’s hard to foresee fans — the lifeblood of the game — returning to matches any time soon.”
