Football: Burnley face £50m shortfall if season cancelled, other EPL sides may lose twice as much

Burnley's Dwight McNeil shoots at goal in Britain on March 7, 2020. PHOTO: REUTERS

(REUTERS) - Burnley could lose up to £50 million (S$88.3 million) in revenue if the English Premier League season is not completed owing the coronavirus outbreak, with the club adding on Saturday (April 4) that other top-flight clubs could miss out on double that amount.

The Premier League said on Friday that the current campaign had been postponed indefinitely, adding that the "2019-20 season will only return when it is safe and appropriate to do so".

Burnley, who are 10th in the 20-team standings, expect to lose £5 million in match-day revenue as their remaining home games will likely be played behind closed doors should the league resume.

In addition, if the season is cancelled altogether, the club will miss out on £45 million pounds in "broadcasting revenue and other items", they said in a statement on their website.

"It's a completely unprecedented situation that we and other Premier League clubs face and which we could not have foreseen in any way only just a few weeks ago," Burnley chairman Mike Garlick said.

"It's now not just about Burnley or any other individual club any more, it's about the whole football ecosystem from the Premier League downwards and all the other businesses and communities that feed from that ecosystem."

Burnley said they were releasing the figures to be "transparent with supporters, staff and stakeholders".

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