Former Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher fears coronavirus crisis could lead to a European Super League
Champions League winner Darren Fletcher fears that the suspension of the season amid the coronavirus crisis could ultimately lead to a breakway European Super League.
All of the continent's major leagues have been suspended as COVID-19 continues to spread around the globe.
The Premier League has been put on hold until April 4, although some reports suggest it might not return until September at the earliest.
The virus looks set to wreak havoc with the European football calendar, and Fletcher believes that could lead to some major structural changes taking place.
"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," the former Manchester United midfielder told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“Even the knock-on effect of that for the Champions League next season, forget about that, these are easier things to delay and cancel and postpone.
“When you’re 30 games into a Premier League season, it’s very difficult not to see it out.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
“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.
“The powerful clubs, there will be breakaways and even more of a push towards breakaway leagues on the back of it - 100%.
“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?’”
READ MORE
It's easy to want to hate RB Leipzig – but it's a plastic club that still treats its fans right
Greg Lea is a freelance football journalist who's filled in wherever FourFourTwo needs him since 2014. He became a Crystal Palace fan after watching a 1-0 loss to Port Vale in 1998, and once got on the scoresheet in a primary school game against Wilfried Zaha's Whitehorse Manor (an own goal in an 8-0 defeat).
‘After Manchester City’s recent form, maybe they’re the underdogs against Manchester United!’ Former Red Devils defender on this weekend’s derby
‘Arteta, Alonso, Emery, me… none of us were physical players – we needed the understanding of the game. That probably helped us move into management’: Premier League boss reveals reasons for natural career progression