Rio Ferdinand Insists League Season 'Needs to Be Voided' & Takes Swipe at Liverpool Supporters

Long-serving Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has doubled down on his statement that the 2019/20 season should be considered null and void, imploring Liverpool fans to 'think about people's health' amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The 41-year-old angered the Liverpool fanbase by suggesting the entire season should be wiped clean, and every division should start afresh from August - which would deny the Reds their first league title in 30 years, despite being 25 points clear at the top of the table.

But former Ferdinand has insisted that he holds this opinion purely from a public safety standpoint, and he has set aside all previous rivalries when coming to this decision. Hmm.

Speaking on Saturday's BT Sport show, Ferdinand explained that 'football is just a game', and he insisted that if he were a Liverpool fan in this current climate, he'd be thinking about 'the wider society rather than my own gain.'

"Times like these do absolutely push it home as to how important sport, the contact and communication, is when you’re in times like this, when you’re isolated and alone with just your immediate family.

"But I think we have to take into consideration – and it hits home again – that football is just a game. As seriously as we all took it, and take it still, it boils down to the fact that it is just a game.

"And the bigger picture is what is going on out in society and that’s why I was very clear and very sure in my own mind that, if there’s not going to be an immediate fix in the next few weeks, then I think the season just needs to be voided and start again next season afresh.

"A lot of people like Liverpool fans will always say, 'Oh that’s because you don’t want Liverpool to win the league'. Listen, if my team was in that situation I would think about people’s health and the wider society rather than my own gain.

"And this is a situation where I think exactly the same no matter who’s going to go up, who’s potentially going to go down, who could have won the league and who could have finished in the Champions League positions."

Ferdinand stated that 'there are going to be people disappointed' with this unsatisfactory outcome, but he admitted that 'not everyone can win in this situation and that's just a fact.'

"I think across the board, it’s much more clearer, black and white, and just void the season and start again afresh. And there are going to be people disappointed, and there are going to be people that are probably more satisfied with that.

"But whichever way you go you’re going to be disappointing people and there’s going to be people that are more happy with the situation when you do it. So not everyone can win in this situation and that’s just a fact."

No doubt that Man Utd fans will be pretty pleased with this outcome, though.

Source : 90min