Premier League clubs to see fans return to areas outside Level 3

Football fans in areas other than 3 in the UK will be able to return to stadiums with the limit set at 2,000 spectators per event.

Premier League will allow local fans to return

Empty stadiums and missing gate receipts won't happen anymore because English Premier League will once again allow fans to attend live events, after the government announced new anti-pandemic measures in Thursday .

Due to the individualized approach to reopening, some clubs will remain in regions that are heavily impacted by COVID-19 and will not be able to resume with a live audience present. This includes Manchester United and City.

But sports will not yet return to normalcy. Even the stadiums that will reopen will only be able to host home fans and at a much reduced capacity. For example, to 2000 spectators Will be available for matches at Everton and Liverpool from Wednesday.

Premier League clubs will host matches

Other clubs that will be able to host at the same time 2,000 spectators, They are Brighton and Southampton, Arsenal, Chelsea, Fulham, West Ham, Tottenham and Crystal Palace. As a result, Arsenal will host a home duel with Rapid Vienna, part of the Europa League, at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday, December 3.

Meanwhile, Manchester United will play a match 2 December by hosting Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and will coincide with the end of the UK blockade on the same day. Other football matches will be hosted by West Ham.

Conversely, many other clubs will have to adhere to stricter measures and will not see live spectators as they remain in so-called Level 3 areas, deemed too dangerous to host live spectators at the moment. These include Aston Villa, Burnley, Leicester, Leeds, Newcastle, West Bromwich and Wolverhampton.

No fans affecting performance

Some were sceptical about the measures, and the Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa argued that the fans' presence has a direct impact on the team's performance. Not allowing the fans to travel would mean that one team would always be at a disadvantage, Bielsa argued. A similar opinion has been expressed on several other occasions .

Under the new rules, the UK even allows 4000 spectators to attend elite sporting events. With fans leaving, sports clubs are struggling financially. Now the government wants to take a tougher stance on sports betting sponsorship, which has been a huge part of the funding model for many clubs.