CORONA SHAME PROBE
yesterday. Mourinho revealed he had even bought a present for Reguilon after learning he was spending Christmas alone.
“I gave him an amazing gift,” said Mourinho. “I was told he was going to spend Christmas on his own and I gave him a Portuguese piglet, which is amazing for Portuguese and Spanish people.
“He was not alone, as you can see, and we as a club feel disappointed because we have given all our players the education necessary and details of the conditions. We are not happy.’’
Tottenham and West Ham both condemned their players after a picture appeared on Instagram showing Lamela, Reguilon, Lo Celso and Lanzini with 11 other adults, two children and a baby.
Spurs reacted angrily, saying in a statement: “We’re extremely disappointed and strongly condemn this image, particularly as we know the sacrifices everybody around the country made to stay safe over the festive period.
“The rules are clear, there are no exceptions, and we regularly remind all our players and staff about the protocols and their responsibilities to adhere and set an example.’’
West Ham said: “We are disappointed to learn of Manuel Lanzini’s actions. The matter has been dealt with internally and Manuel has been strongly reminded of his responsibilities.”
A Met Police spokesman said: “We are aware of the image and of the statements made by Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United. We will make contact with both clubs to establish further details.”
And another image from a separate party on New Year’s Eve showed Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic and Crystal Palace captain Luka Milivojevic together with other adults.
After Palace’s 2-0 win over Sheffield United, boss Roy Hodgson said: “We will be speaking to Luka. We disapprove totally and are very disappointed.”
Fulham were also quick to condemn their star, saying in a statement: “The player is aware of the club’s disappointment and of the standards that are expected of him. The matter will be dealt with internally.”
Burnley’s clash with Fulham is the fourth in the English top flight to be postponed due to a ride in Covid cases since the start of December.
Meanwhile, the Premier League has joined forces with the FA and Professional Footballers’ Association to save the FA Cup by agreeing to test every club for the virus.
The third round is due to kick-off next week with 32 ties due to be completed across the weekend.