Hugo Lloris gives his view on playing out the season behind closed doors

Tottenham captain Hugo Lloris has admitted that the majority of players not not want to play matches behind closed doors and would prefer to play in front of the fans.

Reports have suggested that the Premier League is contemplating the idea of finishing the campaign behind closed doors (Sky Sports) after the season was suspended due to the spread of the coronavirus.

Clubs could lose out on a considerable amount of revenue if the season is voided, which is said to be one of the reasons why there is a desire to complete the current campaign (Daily Mail).

While Lloris admitted that he can understand the financial distress clubs find themselves in, he suggested that perhaps it was time to reflect on why football is in a situation where financial issues take precedence over other sporting aspects.

Speaking to Le Parisian (as relayed by Tribal Football), the Spurs goalkeeper said: “There is a reflection to have. The economic aspect sometimes tends to take precedence over the sporting aspect. There are such financial issues for clubs.

“It can be understood. But above all, there is health. The different authorities, in each country, or on a European scale, are working to find appropriate solutions.”

Lloris claimed that the players were ready to play behind closed doors if needed but insisted that it would almost be a different sport without the fans.

He added: “If we ask a soccer player for his opinion, he will tell you that he wants to play, once or twice a week, in front of spectators, because that is the essence of our discipline.

“This is where we get to go beyond ourselves. But if we have to finish the championship behind closed doors, we will do it. Even if it’s not the same sport.”

Spurs Web Opinion

For all the talk of player power, this crisis has shown that the power ultimately lies with the clubs in recent years. No player will want to come back from a long lay off and play 9-10 games within a space of a few weeks, as they will be risking serious injuries. The only reason the season has not been voided so far is that clubs don’t want to lose out on the entirety of their broadcast revenue.

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