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The official Premier League logo (Getty Images)
Premier league The bosses postponed a third English top flight match due to coronavirus outbreaks on Wednesday, but said they had full confidence in their protocols despite requests for a “circuit breaker.”
Tottenham’s home game against Fulham was canceled just three hours before the scheduled start at 1800 GMT after several cases of Covid-19 at the visiting club.
It is the third high-level game to be eliminated by the virus, following Newcastle’s game with Aston Villa earlier this month and Monday’s game between Everton and Manchester City.
The Premier League announced on Tuesday that there were 18 positive tests, the maximum for the season, in its final round of testing across the competition, already compressed due to the late start of the season.
Further down the pyramid of English football, postponements are increasing, with seven of 12 games scheduled for Tuesday in third-tier League One canceled due to coronavirus infections.
Britain is battling another spike in the virus, with a total death toll of more than 72,500, one of the worst in the world.
After Manchester City’s trip to Everton on Monday was postponed due to a Covid outbreak in Pep Guardiola’s team, the five games scheduled for Tuesday continued.
But Scott Parker’s Fulham called for their game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to be canceled, which the Premier League board sanctioned on Wednesday.
It is understood that the Spurs are unhappy with the decision and the timing of it.
Throughout the day there was speculation that the game could be canceled and coach José Mourinho indicated his frustration in an Instagram post shortly after 1400 GMT.
Mourinho posted a video on his account of his squad waiting for news with a message saying: “We still don’t know if we play. The best league in the world.”
The Premier League confirmed that the decision to postpone the match was made after a match on Wednesday.
“Fulham submitted a request to the Premier League board to reorganize the match following a significant increase in positive Covid-19 cases, as well as a number of players showing symptoms today,” it said in a statement.
“The Premier League board has consulted their medical advisers and the decision to postpone the match has been taken as a precaution and with the health of the players and staff as a priority. The group will now be reassessed immediately.”
Press reports said that representatives of some Premier League clubs had discussed a two-week “cool-down” period next month, and West Brom boss Sam Allardyce backed the so-called circuit breaker.
But Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti said he had confidence in the current rules.
“I think the protocol that the Premier League implemented is really good,” he said. “We feel safe in our bubble. But outside, I have to pay attention, like all normal people have to pay attention.”
Despite the growing number of cases in the English top flight, the Premier League said it intended to continue matches, with no plans for a shutdown reflecting the three-month strike earlier this year.
League officials are desperate to avoid suspending the season with broadcast contracts to honor and the postponed Euro Cup looming in June.
“With a low number of positive tests in the overwhelming majority of clubs, the Premier League continues to have full confidence in its Covid-19 protocols and in being able to continue to play our matches as scheduled,” the Premier League statement said.
Manchester City were due to return to training on Wednesday after no new positive cases of coronavirus were reported following the latest round of testing.
More tests will take place later in the week, the results of which will determine whether Sunday’s trip to Chelsea and next week’s League Cup semi-final at Manchester United can continue.
Premier League leaders Liverpool will travel to Newcastle for the final match on Wednesday.
Sports fans will be banned in England after the government placed almost the entire country under stricter restrictions.
Until the rules were tightened, 10 clubs in the English Premier League and Football League, including Liverpool and Everton, had been able to admit supporters.
