Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi has claimed that training for a return to action, and all football matches, should be put off until the Coronavirus has completely passed.
The Premier League was forced to suspend play after Mikel Arteta and Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis contracted the virus, initially for a four-week period, but has since been suspended indefinitely.
The FA has stated that the league will be completed, but cannot put a date on when that could happen, and the Arsenal midfielder has urged them not to restart until completely safe, amidst talk of restarting behind closed doors.
“For me, what I think is most important is to not start things up again, no games, no training, until this epidemic stops,” the Frenchman said.
“What’s most important is everybody’s health, and not just in the football world, but in the medical world and the world in general.
“That’s really what’s most important. I’m in favour of nothing starting up again until this virus is taken off this world.
“For now, the orders have been clear. There’s nothing at all. No training, no games, and not for a while.
“We know the United Kingdom took measures a bit after France, which means this period is starting to be very difficult here.
“There’s a lot of people who are starting to die from this virus.
“I don’t know if we’re at the start or just in the middle, but we know it’s not the end of this virus, so we know it’s not going to start back up just yet.”
The UK are currently around three weeks behind Spain, and four weeks behind Italy, who only now appear to be getting some kind of grasp on their numbers, and it will be a telling time as to how soon they will be able to return to playing football, although nobody should be urging either country to be hasty in their decision.
Spain could well be the first to return to action, which will more than likely be behind closed doors, although with more lenient lockdown measures on workers to be enrolled from Monday, one can only hope that doesn’t interfere with the downturn in new cases they are currently on.
Guendouzi calling for all training to be put on hold, can only mean team training, as we have already been informed of the strict in-house training that players are instructed with, but could clubs assure the safety of all involved if they were to return to training?
Patrick
Yes but has he offered to forgo his entire salary and endorsement payments to be put on hold till the virus is over?
Indeed we dont know really if we’re at the beginning, middle or end but we believe its the dangerous virus thanks #mathieu