City not living in a void
Manchester City have rubbished claims they want the season declared null and void and insist they aim to play it to a finish.
Pep Guardiola’s City currently trail Liverpool by 25 points and critics claimed that was the reason they wanted the campaign declared null and void.
Et ihad bosses have reacted angrily to those suggestions but they also insist their players will not take the f ield unti l the coronavirus pandemic is completely over.
A senior boardroom source at the club said: “Any suggestion that we want the season cancelled is just ludicrous.
“But the health of our players, staff, fans and their respective families must be our priority.
“That means we won’t go back to playing games until it is clear that the coronavirus threat has passed completely.”
City are the only English club this season to win a domestic trophy as they successfully defended both the Community Shield and the Carabao Cup. They have also reached the quarterf inals of the FA Cup and beat Real Madrid at the Bernabeu to give themselves a great chance of making the last eight of the Champions League.
But their stance over health issues could impact on any attempt by the Premier League and FA to resume the footba l l programme by playing matches behind closed doors and it is understood they are not alone in taking that position.
City have also made an offer to government health bosses to make the Etihad Stadium avai lable for medical purposes.
The club made a similar gesture in the aftermath of Manchester Arena bombing in May 2017.
Back then their stadium became an important refuge for affected families and emergency services.
London’s ExCel Arena, which has been transformed i nto the Night i n gale Hospital to help deal with the coronavirus outbreak, is also Abu Dhabi owned.