Football in England is gearing up for a spectacle when the games resume in June but Tottenham's Jose Mourinho is suing for a longer time to prepare his players for active duty. The Premier League has set for the first match to be between Manchester United and the Spurs but the game could be delayed by at least a week.
The virtual meeting of team managers held Wednesday this week saw the Portuguese boss asking for more time for the Spurs to train for their first match after seven weeks of no competitive football. Mourinho made the request as he expressed concern on the well-being not only of his roster but also of the other clubs.
According to Mirror, the bid made by the Tottenham head coach has the backing of several club managers, somehow indicating that league officials will adopt the proposal. That being the case, the United-Spurs fixture scheduled on June 12 could be moved to June 19.
Mourinho and his fellows have been made aware of the safety protocols that the competitions will observe to minimize the risk of players and league personnel catching the deadly coronavirus. It appeared though that the Spurs boss is looking to make sure that the health of squad members will not be compromised, hence the request for a slight delay.
The same report said Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl backed the proposal made by Mourinho and more managers voiced out support but were not identified.
In any case, the Premier League has set the stage for the season to resume with spectacular effect, which mainly is the reason that the clash between United and Tottenham was scheduled as the first Friday match offering.
Metro said the league is looking to inspire with the games to be played again, which in line with the thrust of the UK government "to boost the morale of the nation." To carry out this plan, league officials will work to make all the remaining matches available for television broadcast.
If all the games will be seen on TV, English fans and others from around the world are set to be regaled by a total of 92 matches.
The games will be played four days a week, starting on Friday and continuing through Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. The scheduling is for the Premier League to bring "a bonanza of football every weekend."
Fittingly, the first Premier League to be played after weeks of absence will be at Tottenham's new stadium but its modern features and amenities will not be experienced by football fans yet. In accordance with the COVID-19 safety protocols, the match and all the other games for the season will be held minus the spectators.
