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LONDON: Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson condemned captain Luka Milivojevic after the Serbian midfielder appeared to violate COVID-19 guidelines on New Year’s Eve by attending a party, but said they would not remove his bracelet .
The Serbian midfielder joins a growing list of footballers who ignored the guidelines over the New Year period, including Manchester City winger Benjamin Mendy, who reportedly apologized for a similar infraction.
Images from social media showed Milivojevic and Fulham forward Aleksandar Mitrovic meeting with at least seven other adults on New Year’s Eve.
Under British government guidelines established on December 19, people living in Level 4 regions, which includes London, where the clubs are located, are not allowed to mingle with other people outside of their own home.
Milivojevic played in Palace’s 2-0 win over Sheffield United on Saturday (January 2) after testing negative for the novel coronavirus.
“I know and obviously we condemn it,” Hodgson told reporters after the game. “We are upset, it does not do any good to the image of the club or Luka … We know that he did not put the other team at risk because the Premier League authorized him to play.”
“But it’s not about risks here on this soccer field, risks arise when people break government guidelines.”
“This is a violation of government guidelines, which we didn’t want to happen, but does that affect his game and the captaincy? No.”
Mitrovic’s Fulham, whose games against Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley were postponed due to COVID-19 cases within their field, said they were investigating the matter and would address it internally.
“The player is aware of the disappointment of the club and the standards expected of him,” Fulham told British media in a statement.
City side Mendy has apologized for disobeying COVID-19 regulations by hosting a party on New Year’s Eve attended by at least three people outside his home.
“Ben accepts that this is a violation of protocols and regrets his actions. Ben has undergone a COVID test and is communicating with Manchester City about this,” a Mendy spokesperson told the Sun.
Mendy’s action came three days after City’s game at Everton had to be postponed following a surge in infections among Manchester club players and staff.
