Five years on from the pandemic’s outbreak, Miguel Delaney speaks to executives inside English football who watched as Covid-19 changed the face of the beautiful game
Mohamed Salah of Liverpool scores past Crystal Palace goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey after Premier League football returned behind closed doors in June 2020. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Mohamed Salah of Liverpool scores past Crystal Palace goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey after Premier League football returned behind closed doors in June 2020. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Miguel Delaney
©UK Independent
Today at 22:02
It was the call that senior football figures had been dreading, but knew was inevitable. Most almost smile ruefully now about remembering where they were when told. On Friday 13 March 2020, it was confirmed that Mikel Arteta became the English game’s first major figure to suffer from Covid-19. This was it, as a slow creep suddenly became abrupt upheaval.
What stands out for club officials reflecting now is the crippling uncertainty, the sheer speed of events, and the need for instant, massive decisions. The initial Covid-19 shutdown, which has its fifth anniversary this week, wasn’t just head-spinning but like a parallel reality. That’s fitting, since it changed the entire football world, and continues to have impact.