The UK is desperate to get back to business in spite of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and that includes the Premier League, with its 'Project Restart' pushing to resume the season at some point in June.
Football has been shut down for the past seven weeks because of the Covid-19 outbreak but with UEFA chief Alexander Ceferin having given European leagues a deadline of May 25 to inform the governing body of how they intend to complete their respective campaigns, time is now of the essence.
France and the Netherlands have already ended their seasons, with the Ligue 1 rankings having being decided on a points-per-game average, while the Dutch League was voided. However, the Premier League is determined to find a way to play their 92 outstanding fixtures.
Financially, stopping the season would be devastating, with reports suggesting that Premier League executives were told it would cost them £762m ($943m) in lost TV revenue alone.
And deciding how to stop the campaign is equally fraught with problems, given there is not pre-existing formula for awarding the title, European qualification or relegation places in the event of a definitive, mid-season suspension of play.
Threats of litigation hang over every possible solution and the French league is already feeling the repercussions of their decision, with relegated Amiens “demanding justice” for a ruling that they say goes against the spirt of fair play.
On Wednesday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel gave the all-clear for the Bundesliga to restart on May 15 and the UK government is broadly in support of trying to bring the game back safely, with Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab claiming it "would lift the spirits of the nation”.
However, with 649 more Covid-19 deaths reported having been reported in the UK on Wednesday, many people are uncomfortable with the idea of restarting football next month – not least the players, with Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero among those admitting to “being scared”.
Getty Images
Health and safety remain a priority and much will depend on government guidelines. A number of Premier League club doctors have raised concerns while there are worries about occupying NHS resources and using coronavirus tests – as many as 40,000 – on players and staff.
Matches behind closed doors, neutral venues, players wearing face masks at training grounds, disinfected footballs, a clampdown on celebrations – it won’t be football as we know it. And there are many fans that don’t feel comfortable with it.
“We're still at a very critical part of this pandemic and people are dying in very high numbers on a daily basis,” Manchester City Official Supporters Club secretary Kevin Parker told Goal.
“The thought of taking players away from their family to isolate them for periods of time to play football behind closed doors just doesn't feel right to me and a lot of the people on our committee.”
Ending the season prematurely would cause a major headache, whichever way the Premier League decides to stop it. Five clubs in a relegation battle are separated by just two points, while Aston Villa are two points further back but with a game in hand, and a drop to the Championship is estimated to cost around £50m ($62m) in lost revenue.
At the other end, potentially six clubs have a realistic chance of claiming a Champions League spot, which could be worth as much as £80m ($99m) next season.
Then, there is Liverpool. Needing just six points to collect their first title in 30 years before the pandemic stopped play, it was a question of when they would lift the trophy – not if.
Denying them the title would be cruel and there would undoubtedly be some fans of rival clubs who would revel in the Reds' disappointment.
Getty Images
Supporters of Everton, Manchester City and Manchester United have been accused of trying to deny Liverpool their trophy by calling for a suspension to continue, but away from the unpleasant rows on social media, there is a more considered approach.
“It's not about Liverpool not getting the title. Personally, I think Liverpool should be awarded the title if no more games are played,” Parker added.
“They have been the best team in the league this season, so I think a way should be found for the title to be awarded to Liverpool. But I'm not comfortable with the idea of games being played behind closed doors when there's still going to be lockdown measures in place.”
Plenty of players have stated that they have no issue with Liverpool being awarded the championship and expressed their sympathy that their long-awaited celebrations will be wrecked by the social-distancing measures.
“They deserve this title," former Everton and United striker Wayne Rooney wrote in The Sunday Times. "Can you imagine waiting 30 years and then having it taken away like this?”
City midfielder Bernardo Silva agrees that Liverpool would be worthy champions, adding: “I think it’s a very sad situation, and probably now even if they win it, they won’t enjoy it as much as they should, as they deserve to. They won’t be able to celebrate with their fans. They won’t be able to play with a crowd.”
Deciding how football returns is far from easy. Lives, jobs, sporting integrity and club futures could all be on the line. Rivalries are just a small part of it.