The current Premier League season is very much back underway and, barring another health crisis, will be completed on July 26.
After that, thoughts will turn quickly to the 2020-21 campaign. It will be a speedy turnaround for everyone but for certain clubs it threatens to be so speedy they’ll be left feeling dizzy.
The need to get next season started at roughly the same time as normal with the rearranged Euro 2020 on the horizon is already causing a scheduling nightmare.
Sportsmail talks you through the latest developments and the many problems arising.
The likes of Manchester United face the prospect of no pre-season amid a tight turnaround between the current season and next season this summer
So when will next season’s Premier League start?
We don’t know yet but the top-flight clubs are set to hold a video conference next week to fix a date.
According to The Sun, three weekends are on the table as the starting point for the 2020-21 season – August 22/23, August 29/30 and September 12/13.
The first two aren’t too far removed from the traditional starting point for a Premier League season, while the third one is about a month later than normal.
But, of course, we are playing catch-up here because of the Covid-19 pandemic taking a three-month chunk out of the current season.
Liverpool’s Premier League title defence could start on one of three possible weekends
Which one would clubs prefer?
A ‘number of clubs’ reportedly prefer the later date in September because this would give them the maximum possible time to prepare for another nine month season.
It would allow them to have a form of pre-season, get out on the training ground and play some warm-up friendlies.
Another reason is that a September start increases the chances of at least some supporters being permitted back into stadiums, providing clubs with some matchday income.
This would be much less than usual but a welcome relief with the majority if not all clubs severely affected by Covid-19’s impact on their finances.
However, Premier League referees have been alerted to the likelihood that the season will begin on the August 22 weekend so nobody involved should be booking their summer holiday for then.
Clubs are believed to favour a September start to next season as it increases the possibility of supporters being allowed back into their currently empty stadiums
Surely starting in September would cause a scheduling headache?
Oh yes. The English football calendar is congested enough – just ask the likes of Jurgen Klopp and Jose Mourinho for their views on this topic.
A September start would mean the two-week winter break we saw this season would likely have to be scrapped and teams in European competitions would be in action each and every midweek.
There would be the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup to shoehorn in somehow.
But the hand of the Premier League clubs could be forced by the broadcasters in any case.
Those multi-billion pound deals with Sky Sports and BT Sport stipulate that there must be 34 weekend dates in each season for maximum TV coverage, meaning that the season has to begin on August 22 to fit them all in.
Another factor is that the season must be concluded by May 16 because of the compulsory, FIFA-imposed rest period ahead of the delayed Euro 2020, which kicks-off on June 11, 2021.
The Premier League’s big television contracts stipulate a certain number of weekends
And even if the new season started on August 22, the only way to get 34 weekends would be to move the fourth and fifth rounds of the FA Cup to midweek.
So the parameters in which the Premier League has to fit are quite clear.
Just clear one thing up… Why can’t we start on September 5/6?
International football strikes again I’m afraid. UEFA has commandeered that weekend for the opening fixtures in the Nations League and everyone else has to work around it.
England are due to play Iceland in Reykjavik on Saturday September 5 and Denmark in Copenhagen on Tuesday September 8 part of UEFA’s beloved ‘week of football’ between September 3-8.
There are further Nations League breaks in October and November just to squeeze things even more.
England are due to kick-off their latest UEFA Nations League campaign in early September
So it’s looking like August then… but I’m sure there’s something on during August?
Yes, the August 22 date should be ringing alarm bells. That’s pretty much exactly when the Champions League and Europa League from this season will be coming to their climax.
As you’ll remember, UEFA shifted the finale of their two club competitions to August to ensure that domestic seasons could be finished and they’ll take the form of a mini-tournament.
The Champions League will resume on August 7/8 with the remaining last-16 matches and then we’ll progress through the quarter-finals and semi-finals with one-legged games before the final is played on August 23.
All of the games from the quarters onwards will be played in Lisbon, Portugal.
As for the Europa League, that is going to be concluded at various venues in Germany, with the remaining last-16 ties to be played on August 5-6 through to the final in Cologne on August 21.
Hang on then, so if one of the English teams reaches the final they would miss the start of next season?
Bingo! In the perfect illustration of the looming fixture chaos, if an English side reaches the Champions League or Europa League final, they’d be forced to miss the start of the next Premier League season if it started on August 22.
Manchester City are the likeliest to go all the way in the Champions League – they lead Real Madrid 2-1 from the first leg of their last-16 tie and Pep Guardiola’s side will fancy their chances of reaching their first final.
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are facing the prospect of no pre-season if they reach the Champions League final and the Premier League season starts that same weekend
Chelsea are still in the competition but trail Bayern Munich 3-0 after the first leg of their tie and so are pretty much out.
In the Europa League, Manchester United and Wolves are well placed to advance from their respective last-16 ties and will also fancy their chances of lifting the trophy.
United lead Austrian side LASK 5-0 ahead of the second leg, while Wolves grabbed an away goal when they drew 1-1 with Greek side Olympiacos back in March.
City are the bookmakers’ favourites to win the Champions League and United are the Europa League favourites so this scenario is certainly possible.
Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would face a similar headache if his team reached the final of the UEFA Europa League, scheduled for August 21
So what would that mean in practical terms?
Well basically they would have no pre-season.
Having played in their European final, it’d be straight back into Premier League action the following week. There would be no possibility of a pre-season training camp, let alone any friendly matches.
There would be no opportunity for summer signings to bed in with non-competitive games and no time for the managers to work on new tactics and methods of playing.
What’s more, they would be playing catch-up in terms of their fixture list from the outset if they missed their first Premier League fixture as a result of the clash.
City’s burden next season could be less if their ban from European competition is upheld but for United and Wolves, it would be a real slog of a year, with a heightened risk of injuries and fatigue.
And on top of all that, quite a few of their players would report straight for international duty in May ahead of the European Championship.
So for the likes of Harry Maguire, Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba it would mean a solid year of playing football without much of a break.
Wolves are also among the favourites to reach the Europa League final at the end of August
Can a solution be found?
The situation is what it is really. We are going through unprecedented times and the football calendar has been adapted accordingly. Nobody saw this crisis coming.
It’s a miracle really that the 2019-20 season will be completed to broad satisfaction and without compromising the integrity of any competitions.
It was always going to be a sharp turnaround into next season, especially when Euro 2020 was postponed.
Squad depth will be more important than ever and there will never be a better opportunity for youngsters to prove their worth.
The hectic fixture list could well diminish the quality of football on offer, and no doubt managers will moan about it, but it’s hard to see any other way as the game tries to get back on track.
The likes of Raheem Sterling face a solid year of football for Manchester City and England