Clarke pulls out of draw despite calls not to panic over virus

Uefa and Fifa told the football world to stop panicking over coronavirus yesterday after Steve Clarke, the Scotland head coach, failed to turn up to the Nations League draw because of infection fears.

The Scottish Football Association said Clarke travelling to Holland would be an “unnecessary risk”, even though the event was attended by England counterpart Gareth Southgate and a host of other managers.

Ian Maxwell, the SFA’S chief executive, said: “What’s the point of him travelling through four different airports and risking exposing himself ?”

Gianni Infantino, the Fifa president, directly urged the game “not to panic”, while Uefa responded to concern by announcing emergency working groups involving the Premier League and other governing bodies to avoid potential fixture pile-ups.

Aleksander Ceferin, the Uefa president, played down fears that Euro 2020 could be affected. “Let’s try to be optimistic, not thinking about dark scenarios,” he said.

Theodore Theodoridis, the Uefa general secretary, said the governing body had “been working on detailed scenarios” and Euro 2020 would go ahead as planned. “We have matches in the next couple of weeks, so there are different scenarios which we are not allowed to share further details of. But I assure you there are plans for everything,” he said. “We do not want to start speculating at this stage.”

Amid a sense of deepening concern across the sporting world, Japan’s Olympic minister revealed the Tokyo 2020 contract would allow organisers to postpone the Games to the end of the year. However, the International Olympic Committee moved immediately to play down fears, with Thomas Bach, the IOC president, insisting athletes should continue their preparations “with great confidence”.

Among international events to take a hit this week were the final two stages of the UAE Tour after two suspected coronavirus cases. Last night, Thierry Vittu, the Cofidis cycling team president, claimed riders were being “held against their will” and “treated like plague victims” at their hotel in the United Arab Emirates.

“This situation is not normal,” he said. “We’re being held against our will in a place we didn’t choose and for an unknown length of time.”