Premier League not been given green light yet, says UK govt official

The Premier League has not been given the green light to resume their season behind closed doors, an official within the United Kingdom government has said.

"They've not been given the green light," Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden told BBC Radio 4.

Premier League clubs are set to meet on Monday where options including neutral venues will be discussed.

"If we can get a plan that works then I'd like us to be able to go ahead with it because I think it would be good for the nation, it would be good for football as a whole," said Dowden.

"I'm really hopeful we can get this up and running but public safety must come first so it's only if we're confident of that, that we'll be able to proceed."

The UK government is expected to ease lockdown restrictions from Monday and Dowden said that all sports should be braced for the possibility of having to play in empty stadiums in the near future.

"It's not just the Premier League, it's the rest of football and indeed other sports that could potentially take place behind closed doors," he said.

Earlier, former Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov said that playing matches behind closed doors can affect the performances of players.

"Playing behind closed doors isn't going to be the same and everybody knows that," Berbatov told Betfair in their exclusive column.

"It will be quiet and you will be able to hear all the players talking on the pitch and communicating with their coaches. The atmosphere won't be there and it's going to be different for every team. Some are going to take it okay and others may suffer from it," said the 39-year-old Bulgarian.