It’s been more than six weeks since a soccer ball was last kicked in the English Premier League (EPL). Liverpool FC and its star Egyptian striker and folk hero Mo Salah had been within a whisker of securing the championship title when the gates to stadiums were locked following the novel coronavirus outbreak. With the terraces empty, and millions of football fans around the world lamenting the loss of their beloved game, passions have been redirected to competition off the pitch.
There have been lively discussions about millionaire soccer stars taking pay cuts if clubs are furloughing lesser-paid staff and about abandoning competition altogether or playing matches without fans in attendance. The most-heated arguments, however, have revolved around an effort to buy one of the league’s most famous clubs.
