"The time has come for us as a sport to stop repeatedly framing the challenges and start delivering on the solution," says Angus Kinnear
Friday 22 May 2020 09:44, UK
Leeds United chief executive Angus Kinnear has claimed it would be a "national embarrassment" if England's top two divisions could not complete their seasons while major leagues across Europe return to action.
Kinnear says the Championship leaders are eager to complete the campaign on the pitch, even if curtailment would see them secure promotion on a points-per-game basis.
Pointing to the Bundesliga's return last weekend, Kinnear says it is vital that both the Premier League and the Championship - which ranks as one of the world's biggest leagues in terms of attendance - see the campaign out on the pitch.
Writing in the Yorkshire Evening Post, Kinnear said: "England had some of the finest sports scientists and football administrators in the game and the time has come for us as a sport to stop repeatedly framing the challenges and start delivering on the solution.
"It would be a national embarrassment if the Bundesliga, La Liga or Serie A were to be able to complete safely and the first and fifth-biggest leagues in the world were not able to follow suit if the context remained comparable."
Premier League players have begun returning to training this week after being tested for coronavirus - with a total of six players and staff testing positive from the 748 results revealed so far - numbers which Kinnear says "gave a firm indication of how manageable this challenge is becoming".
The EFL, which is around a week behind the Premier League, has laid out its own training protocols while also confirming that if play is not possible, divisions will be determined on a points-per-game average with promotion and relegation applied.
"If Leeds United wanted to be opportunist, we could have seized on this 'point per game' commitment to push for an early curtailment in concert with some already very vocal self-interests," Kinnear wrote.
"However, our intention has always been to do all we can to complete this season where we started it - on the pitch."
