London: Former England and Manchester United defender Gary Neville slammed Football Association (FA) for trying to resume matches amid coronavirus pandemic. Plans are being put in place to resume group training in mid May and then play matches in June. Neville hit out at plan and said the decision was purely based on economic reasons.
"The FIFA medical officer said that football should not take place before September. I think if it was a non-economic decision there would be no football for months," Neville told Sky Sports.
"People are now assessing risk. How many people have to die playing football in the Premier League before it becomes unpalatable? One? One player? One member of staff goes into intensive care? What risk do we have to take? The discussion is purely economic."
Giving the example of Leeds, who are on the threshold of gaining promotion in the Premier League, Neville said there is a lot at stake for players and clubs alike and that is why they are willing to take the risk of going ahead with the matches.
The monetary aspect of the Premier League is also a factor, according to Neville, and that is why FA are willing to take the risk despite the ongoing crisis.
"There will be people who will view it as a risk factor. Players themselves will want to go and play. Players at the lower levels will want to go play and 1,400 players are out of contract," Neville said.
"Clubs have huge investment in this season. Think about what's at stake for Leeds, it's absolutely massive. There are big prizes up for grabs. There's huge economic loss. It clouds people's minds in terms of the risk that they're willing to take."
