Arsenal boss confirmed with Coronavirus – Games to be suspended

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been confirmed as having Coronavirus today, which is set to send the Premier League and England into meltdown, with our weekend’s match, and the whole Premier League’s fixtures into the spotlight.

There is little doubt in my mind that our match with Brighton this Saturday will now be postponed following the news, and there is the likelihood that the FA may move to postpone all further stages of the competition. This move may come from the heads of the agency themselves, or from the Prime minister Boris Johnson as the UK are likely to be forced to put preventative measures into place, just as Italy and Spain have had to recently.

The club will work closely with Public Health England in figuring out the best way to move forward, while all players and staff have been urged to self-contain while everybody is tested for the virus. The training ground has also had to be closed until further notice.

Managing director Vinai Venkatesham said: “The health of our people and the wider public is our priority and that is where our focus is. Our thoughts are with Mikel who is disappointed but in good spirits. We are in active dialogue with all the relevant people to manage this situation appropriately, and we look forward to getting back to training and playing as soon as medical advice allows.”

Head of football Raul Sanllehi added: “Mikel and the full first-team squad, players and staff, will be fully supported, and we look forward to getting back to training and playing as soon as medical advice allows. Obviously Mikel’s full recovery is the priority now for us all.”

COVID-19 has been on the rise for some months since breaking out in China, and we must all stay vigilant in these testing times. Should you believe you could have the virus, do not go to see your doctor. Call 112 and follow the advice of the staff. Stay Safe

38 Comments

  1. We won’t be watching Arsenal or any EPL match for a while. This changes things instantly and we will likely get an announcement tomorrow of a league postponement. Brighton is cancelled officially now. Get well soon Mikel! Hope our older staff will be okay as well since they’re more vulnerable.

  2. God bless and protect all our Arsenal people and all humans everywhere. The Prem season is now almost certainly over and now we may see how kind and resourceful our human species can really be when the chips are down, as they certainly are now.

  3. Oh no, not Arteta! I hope he recovers quickly! I want to be optimistic but I really doubt he is the only one infected at the club.

  4. This is very sad news indeed! We pray to the Almighty God to heal all those who are infected with the virus.

  5. Disappointing news!!!

    At this point, all our players and staff should get tested now to know which other ones test positive and start treatment immediately. Nothing must happen to any of our players and staff please.

    Us fans far and near should be ready to get tested in the case of sudden odd feeling. We must stay well. We will enjoy future games when we are healthy.

    All the best to everybody. Stay safe!! Stay well!!!

  6. Bloody hell! It’s hard not to panic, as it’s everywhere.. on the news, on your phone, it’s all everyone talks about, there’s no pasta, toilet roll or handwash in the supermarkets 😀 I believe everything will slowly grind to a halt – a song (?) once said “it’s life Jim, but not as we know it”

    My son was meant to be going to LA next month for Coachella, which has been postponed until October! Will things have improved by then??
    I hope all keep well….

      1. Sue
        That is a very telling comment
        We should not forget that their practices and lack of hygiene is where this nightmare started. SARS too.

      2. Sue, they have been torturing, killing and eating animals for ages. How come this has never happened before. Each time there is an incident like this it has always been attributed to people and whatever they do with animals, the same animals they have being coexisting years before now. I’m not dispelling the notions that these animals are carriers of some infectious diseases but also we can’t overlook the fact that some of them are made and given to them by our scientists.

        1. I’m just going by where they said the ‘source’ was from – a back street market in China, killing and eating anything and everything – including bats – why report that if it was a load of codswallop? I believe in karma.. just a pity the whole world has to pay for what they’re doing/have done!

  7. I was really sad when I first heard about the news. I hope the Epl postpones all matches till further notice. If they don’t then this virus will certainly spread the more. Coyg!

  8. Get well soon boss take care of yourselfs wherever you are and don’t stop praying for those of us who believe. One case reported in Kenya apparently a woman who had travelled from London.

  9. Everyone follow the official advice and hopefully we can come out of the other side of this terrible virus. People in the UK have now been told that if we have any symptoms to NOT call 111, 999 or even your doctor but to just self isolate for 7 days. My partner suffers from asthma and has COPD so we have stopped socialising, eating out and going to the pub. I know 4 staff personally who work at the training ground (I’m from London Colney) and the whole place is in lockdown and all staff sent home to self isolate. None are being tested which now begs the question how can the infection figures be accurate? I am not confident our government are doing enough and am sure this is going to get far worse over the next few weeks and even months. Take care everyone and stay safe.

    1. Surely all Arsenal people should’ve been tested after the Olympiacos news was made public… but they weren’t.
      I reckon there are tons out there with it, but don’t even know they have it. So yes as you say, it’s going to get a whole lot worse… let’s just hope we all come out the other side!
      Hope you and your partner are ok, GB.. look after each other 👍

      1. Sue, the way I see it is this: even with multiple tests after first contact and ingestion, the carrier might still not show signs or evidence of having it. But the virus has to take a little time to become fully grounded in the carrier (even before the victim begins to be sick) to exposed by the testing tools (imo). That’s why it’s very difficult to stop the spread.

        Having said that I strongly believe there is more to this virus than what we hear from the media about china dietary bs. It was a laboratory creation for whatever vile intentions the evil genus had.

        Lastly people should not be panic stricken about the disease because it’s not as deadly as it’s being portrayed (granted it’s very infectious). People who suffer from it can still recover on their own without help from hospitals. But like most diseases, it’s severe of on a few % of individuals.

    2. GB
      My husband has a weakened immune system due to the drugs he has for arthritis. He takes ages to recover from coughs and colds so like you we are considering the best way to keep well
      All the best to you and everyone else out there

      1. All the best to you both SueP, there are more of us around with these underlying problems that are more at risk than people realise. I think all we can do is take sensible precautions and not interact socially and pay attention to our cleanliness.

  10. This is a very sad and disappointing news. I wish our coach and all people that are infected speedy recovery. The whole world is looking for how to survive this virus which is the right thing at the moment but I’m thinking, if this thing is novel,new, is it not possible that is man made. If it is why would someone make something as deadly as this and put the whole world at the mercy of death.

    1. It is a known virus that jumped across from animals into humans.
      Your view sounds like a conspiracy theory by the drug companies or a method by which nations across the world are trying to kill off the old and weak to save money
      My personal opinion is that you are talking balder dash.

      1. Suep, as a person who previous source of livelihood is to spend 18 hours every other day in game reserve in Africa, do you have an idea the numbers of different kind of animals I had come in contact with and eaten. For 11 years I didn’t get sick with any other illness than malaria. So I’m know what my thought is even Though i may be wrong.

        1. Mobella
          I am not a scientist. The outbreak started in a market in China where live animals were kept with butchered animals in bad conditions I very much hope that your life on the game reserve had better hygiene standards in the same way we eat farmed animals here.

    2. Why?
      Have you heard about killing millions to make millions? That is the level this world has descended.
      Manufacturers have been producing all forms of cigarettes and making their billions at the expense of millions of lives.
      And the mask producing companies will be more concerned about raking their millions than a simple drug to cure anybody suffering from the disease.
      Why is it taking so long to find a cure?
      And don’t tell me there is no cure for cancer, but pharmaceuticals concentrate on drugs to manage it to continue to making their millions.

      It is all COMMERCE WITHOUT HUMANITY.

      1. Gily,
        Another conspiracy theorist?
        If you want to believe this then fine.
        I am not at all confident that the money mad drugs companies are behind one of the worst economic situations faced by the planet in decades. My family has a lot to be thankful for; These evil drugs companies have developed life changing drugs for my husband and when i get a cold I can pop a paracetamol.

        1. There will always be genuine people who get themselves spent for the good of mankind, without whom the world would have plunged into complete darkness. But then the evil ones are there and are on the increase.
          If the Almighty God does not intervene eventually, there is about very little the few good people will do to save this world.

  11. This was very much expected news after the Olympiakos owner had the virus whilst at the Arsenal game. Just imagine the amount of people he met at the Emirates before and after that game.

    Get well soon MA, and any other players, staff, fans, that get it, which will happen.

    As I write this, Hudson-Odi is another with it now. They surely have to shut down the leagues for at least 30 days minimum.

  12. I have heart and lung problems I have now self-isolated I hope they find a cure soon I wish everyone in this world well

Comments are closed

Top Blog Sponsors