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Football London
Football London
Sport
Lee Wilmot

The huge Champions League warning to Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham amid coronavirus scare

The coronavirus is already having a huge impact on the Premier League.

And former Manchester United man Darren Fletcher believes it could hit the top clubs even harder.

There is no guarantee that the Premier League season will finish this year, with the schedule suspended until April and it could even go on longer than that depending on the rate the outbreak continues at.

Some people in the game have suggested that the only solution is to declare this season null and void, which would hit Liverpool hardest with it being just a matter of time before they recorded their first ever Premier League title win.

Coronavirus: WHO says Europe now 'the epicentre of the pandemic'

But it could hit Liverpool and the rest of the big six hard too, depending on whether or not the Champions League reaches a conclusion.

For many years now UEFA have mooted the idea of a European Super League.

And Fletcher believes if the coronavirus continues to play havoc with the scheduling, that European Super League idea could move ever closer.

Speaking on BBC Radio Five Live he said: "You can speculate about cup competitions and things like that but the biggest thing for me is the Premier League, and the leagues have to be finished.

"It will all come down to money, as everything does. The powers that be, the money involved, sponsorship deals.

"The Champions League are not going to just accept that, there is no way they are going to accept that [not finishing].

"The powerful clubs, there will be breakaways and even more of a push towards breakaway leagues on the back of it - 100 per cent.

"If you turned around to the Champions League and said it’s not happening, they will propose a breakaway and invite the teams that they want.

"It may actually be an excuse to get what they want anyway. They want that, a breakaway league.

"This may be the perfect opportunity to get that and go ‘we’re doing this next season if you want to cancel the Champions League next season, who’s in?’"

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