Let me start by noting 2 things:
I am not a Liverpool fan. I support Tottenham, so if anything, after last year’s Champions League Final, I have every reason not to want Liverpool to be crowned champions of this Premier League season.
Excuse any typos in here - the news of France’s season being cancelled this week adds some urgency to this post. I really need to share my thoughts before England and the FA make a decision on the status of the season.
Around the turn of the new year, it was clear Liverpool were head and heels above the rest in the Premier League. They were on a tear having only tied a single game all season and winning the rest. One of the world’s biggest clubs was on its way to winning their first-ever Premier League trophy - a drought so long that the last time they were English champions, the league went by a different name. Liverpool fans have experienced heartbreak after heartbreak (One of their most well-known players of all-time is remembered for slipping and giving up a goal that cost them the title), and after 30 years, it looked like they were going to FINALLY win it all.
The beginning of 2020 feels like an eternity ago, but it’s only been four months. When the year began, Liverpool were already 13 points ahead of second-place Leicester City (it’s a shame Leicester’s unexpected and fantastic season may also be ruined by COVID) and showed no signs of slowing down. For those of you new to soccer, Liverpool have a very passionate fan base that many find to be annoying. The internet and football fans around the world have had a field day with all the choking they’ve done in the past few decades. If you recall, in the beginning of 2020 there were jokes about WWIII beginning. When there was actually a rumor of this happening, millions of fans joked that something outside of soccer would be the ones to stop them from actually hoisting the Premier League trophy.
Then the craziest event in recent human history transpired, and something completely unrelated to soccer will very likely prevent Liverpool from winning the Premier League this year. It actually might happen.
This begs the question - they’re so far ahead, is it fair to actually cancel the season without declaring them champions?
Liverpool are currently 25 points ahead of second-place Manchester City, the latter with a game at hand. That’s a 9 game lead, and Manchester City have 10 games left on their schedule. If the quarantine had started even just a week later, Liverpool could’ve mathematically clinched the title - a remarkable feat considering the season still had two months left. Nonetheless, it was only a matter of when. Following up on my question above, this proposes another thought. Bear in mind that there’s no protocol in place if a season has to be abandoned.
Should the Season be Cancelled Irregardless of the Standings?
In the past two weeks, France and the Netherlands have both seen their seasons cancelled without a champion declared. The Dutch league had a two-way tie for first place, so it’s reasonable that the season was voided without a title winner. However, P$G had a 12 point lead in France and were on their way to yet another league title. While the lead wasn’t insurmountable like Liverpool’s, it was pretty unlikely that anyone was going to catch them. Nevertheless, French sporting events are cancelled until September, so the discussion is meaningless.
The only positive that may come out of this is that every sporting league around the world will now have set rules in place in case they are unable to finish their seasons. This is especially important in soccer as they don’t have playoffs to determine a champion. Now let’s get to the bottom line.
Liverpool deserves to be champions. Whether or not teams should be relegated is a separate argument, but they were on their way to setting records for the most successful club in English football history. It’s a lose-lose - if they’re declared champions, there will always be an asterisk next to the title because the season ended early. If the season is voided, one of the greatest single-season teams in football history will be wronged out of a title.
Liverpool fans - I’m so sorry this is happening this year out of all the years. Some of you may be annoying as hell, but every team has its annoying fans. Many of you have been waiting for your entire lives for this, and I really do feel for you that this is happening. Internet trolls are going to have a field day with this, regardless of the outcome. With other leagues cancelling, it doesn’t bode well for Liverpool. However, as meaningless as this might be - you’re champions in my book, and I really hope other stubborn fans can recognize that too.
Author: Living in Southern California, Robert Sweeney has been a fan of soccer since he played as a young child. Since then, he’s become a diehard Tottenham and US National Team fan. Rob enjoys writing about the impact soccer has had on his life in hopes that it betters others as well. Twitter: @robsweeney11