Mikel Arteta tests positive; Euro 2020 under threat from coronavirus; Real Madrid players isolated; La Liga suspended
Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta has returned a positive test for coronavirus, forcing the club to close its London Colney training centre.
Football
Don't miss out on the headlines from Football. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta has returned a positive COVID-19 result, shutting down the club’s London Colney training centre.
The Gunners released a statement on Friday morning, confirming personnel who had recent close contact with Arteta will self-isolate in line with government health guidelines in the United Kingdom.
“We expect this to be a significant number of people from Colney, including the full first-team squad and coaching staff, as well as a smaller number of people from our Hale End Academy which we have also temporarily closed as a precaution,” it said.
“We expect those who did not have close contact with Mikel to return to work in the coming days.
“In the meantime our Colney and Hale End training centres will undergo a deep clean and our other club sites are operating as normal.”
The recently appointed Arsenal boss said it was “really disappointing”.
“This is really disappointing but I took the test after feeling poorly. I will be at work as soon as I’m allowed,” he said.
Watch LIVE coverage of La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, Ligue 1 and EFL Championship with beIN SPORTS on KAYO. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >
Earlier, the Premier League had released a statement saying matches would go ahead “as scheduled.”
“While the Prime Minister advised that all sporting events should take place as normal for now, he also indicated that Government is considering banning major public events, like sporting fixtures,” it said.
“We are therefore continuing to work closely with our clubs, government, the FA, EFL and other relevant stakeholders to ensure appropriate contingency plans are in place as and when circumstances change.
“The welfare of players, staff and supporters is of paramount importance and we will continue to follow Public Health England guidelines thoroughly.
“We will keep everyone updated as appropriate.”
UEFA TO HOLD CRISIS MEETING
As the coronavirus outbreak causes chaos across Europe, UEFA has a major decision to make over whether it can go ahead with the upcoming European Championship as planned.
European football’s governing body will hold a crisis meeting on Tuesday to discuss the way forward for all domestic and European competitions, as well as Euro 2020, which is due to take place from June 12 to July 12 in 12 different countries across the continent.
Last week, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin played down fears that Euro 2020 may have to be postponed when he spoke after the organisation’s congress in Amsterdam.
“We are dealing with it and we are confident we can deal with it,” Ceferin said before calling on organisers to “not just think about dark scenarios, there will be time for that later.”
However, the extent to which the scenario has worsened over the last week means that now is already the time to think about it.
With cases rising throughout Europe, Italy in total lockdown, countries beginning to impose travel bans and the World Health Organisation labelling the outbreak a pandemic, the possibility of Euro 2020 being postponed is growing.
According to a source close to UEFA, everything will be on the table at the meeting, from postponement of the Euro and changing the format to looking at changing the venues.
“UEFA is going to be obliged to suspend European competitions. And in order to make finishing them possible, they will have to postpone the Euro,” the president of one French club said.
The unprecedented decision to stage the European Championship in 12 nations across the continent could complicate things.
“For the first time we have the possibility of several countries being obliged to apply quarantine measures or restrict the movement of people,” said Jacques Lambert, head of the organising committee for Euro 2016, which was held in France.
“We cannot know clearly and definitively which host countries will be impacted most heavily.”
Matches are due to be played from as far apart as Bilbao and Dublin to Saint Petersburg and Baku.
The difficulty in foreseeing what restrictions will be placed upon travel over the next three months means UEFA could consider going ahead with the tournament, but playing games behind closed doors. That solution could satisfy broadcasters.
Europe’s premier club competition suffers
The Champions League last 16, second legs between Manchester City and Real Madrid and Juventus and Lyon became the latest high-profile football matches to be postponed.
Juventus defender Daniele Rugani has tested positive for the virus, forcing players and staff of the Italian champions into quarantine.
Madrid players have also been put into quarantine after one of the club’s basketball players tested positive.
Real Madrid said “it has been decided to close the facilities at our training ground and it is also recommended that all Real Madrid personnel who work there remain in quarantine”.
Serie A in Italy, the European country worst hit by the virus, has already suspended its matches until April 3 while France’s Ligue 1 will continue its season but without spectators.
South American Cup qualifiers off
FIFA has said it will postpone South American qualifying matches for the 2022 Qatar World Cup after a request from the region’s football federation amid concerns over the spread of coronavirus.
FIFA said in a letter to the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL), which the federation tweeted, that it would seek to reschedule the matches due to take place between March 23 and 31.
A number of Latin America’s top football stars play for European teams in countries which have seen significant cases of the virus.
They would have faced quarantines on their return to their home countries.