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Virologists, public health physicians and epidemiologists are lining up to urge soccer’s governing bodies to crack down on Covid offenders who celebrate goals in tight-knit groups.
Experts say that the players are setting a bad example for the nation and risk a disastrous shutdown in the national game.
The government warned ‘the optics’ of players violating social distancing rules coupled with a devastating virus and high infection rates make it difficult to justify the continuation of elite sport.
And now a series of urgent meetings between the Premier League, captains and managers have been set up to address Covid’s new protocols, amid fears that continued non-compliance could trigger government intervention.
The latest expert to speak is Professor Paul Hunter, a microbiologist, who was shocked to see players hugging in celebration, after the Premier League issued a tough new guide telling them to avoid that just days before.
Everton, Wolves, Sheffield United and Manchester United teammates enjoyed exuberant and intimate celebrations after scoring crucial goals on Tuesday.
And on Wednesday, those scenes were replayed with Manchester City and Fulham players piling up after crucial hits.
And Hunter, a professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, joined other prominent academics in telling Sportsmail players that they are taking unnecessary risks with their own health by forming a celebratory scrum after goals.
“This is how this thing spreads – inhaling the breath and saliva that comes out of other people’s mouths,” Hunter said. And if everyone screams while doing it, the risk increases.
“Most of the inhaled air will be exhaled by other players. Group hugs should not be tolerated. There are all kinds of things that players can do to celebrate.
“Personally, I think it is important that football and sport continue. It helps a lot of people get through. But it must be done in a safe way and that does not encourage unsafe behavior in others. These types of behaviors are dangerous if they influence others to think that footballers can get away with it.
“It has to change.”
Soccer’s governing bodies have come under pressure from the government to root out violations of social distancing rules on and off the field after a series of high-profile incidents.
Ministers are concerned that the blatant abuse of social distancing by footballers causes resentment in public spirits and forces them to take a position where they feel compelled to shut down elite sport.
The Premier League still wants to let clubs sanction players who break the rules, but Hunter believes firm action is needed to change behavior.
“I agree that, in the grand scheme of things, soccer is not going to fuel this pandemic,” he told Sportsmail. “But several footballers have made it clear in recent months that they don’t believe the rules apply to them. They think they are above the law
“If football does not agree on this, it will almost certainly stop, to the detriment of British society.
“There is no excuse for high-risk behavior just for being a footballer. The rules are there for everyone and they apply to everyone. If football closes for this, we know where the blame lies. That’s something that shouldn’t have happened if the clubs and the [football authorities] took this seriously.
New Premier League protocols, issued on Friday, include avoiding ‘unnecessary contact at all times’, including ‘handshakes and hugs’, as well as instructions for wearing face masks on the bench, spot checks of locker rooms and team buses to ensure social distancing. measurements are being followed.
The Premier League says clubs must investigate and sanction “individual transgressions by relevant persons.”
Their guide adds: “Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action by the league individually against the relevant person, where applicable, and / or against the club.”
But the league says the rules don’t support punishment on the field for ignoring social distancing and don’t say what penalties it will impose if clubs don’t act.
Two coaches, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer of United and Chris Wilder of Sheffield United defended the actions of their players.
Solskjaer said: ‘It’s difficult when you score because you want to celebrate with your teammates. We will do our best to follow the guidelines, but it is difficult. “
And Wilder said, “It’s an exciting game on the field and on the touchline … it’s unnatural and unreal (not to celebrate).”
The Premier League transgressions come after the FA Cup third round draws at the weekend when teams almost universally engaged in group cuddles and Chorley and Crawley Town celebrated with song and champagne respectively in the locker room. .
And this comes after violations of Covid rules by seven Premier League players from five clubs during the festive period, when they attended parties in breach.
Government sources have told Sportsmail that there is “growing frustration” among ministers who do not want to see footballers breaking the rules in their private lives or hugging on the field.
Professor Hunter is the latest in a line of experts to talk about Covid and football. Dr Julian Tang from the University of Leicester, Professor Keith Neal from the University of Nottingham and Dr Gabriel Scally, Visiting Professor from the University of Bristol, have expressed their concerns to Sportsmail.
Dr. Tang advocates revising the competition rules in the Premier League, EFL and FA Cup to introduce yellow cards where players do not distance themselves.
“Why risk yourself or your contacts a single 10- or 20-second scrum?” He said. You do not have to do it.
‘If it happens once, they give you a yellow card and if it happens again, you’re out. It is a disincentive for that contact, recognizing that it could have much greater consequences ”.
On Tuesday, Jonathan Van-Tam, England’s deputy chief medical officer, said footballers should socially distance themselves after scoring a goal.
Meanwhile, Troy Deeney has called on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to end soccer.
“Unless the government or governing bodies step in and say, ‘You can’t do this, you can’t do that,’ then you go back to what’s morally right,” Deeney told talkSPORT.
‘You can’t stop people from leaving [on holiday], you can’t stop people from playing football and naturally going to hug your teammate who helped you, it’s something we’ve done for years. ‘
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
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