Lampard in dash from France to beat new quarantine rules

Frank Lampard was believed to be among a host of Premier League players and staff dashing back from French holidays to beat the UK’S new quarantine travel restrictions.

The Chelsea head coach will have been keen to avoid any embarrassment after his players were banned from going on holiday to any country on the existing quarantine list as of last weekend, when the club’s season ended.

Chelsea declined to comment on his travel plans when approached by yesterday, but Lampard and his TV presenter wife, Christine, had been pictured this week in the resort of Antibes.

France was struck from the UK’S “travel corridor” list on Thursday as new Covid-19 cases in the country hit a post-lockdown daily high.

Liverpool, meanwhile, conthe firmed their pre-season camp was taking place in Austria rather than a return to the French resort of Evian-les-bains, where they have been for the past two seasons.

“It was a preferred option in the end anyway, albeit for different reasons than just the air bridge,” a club source said, as the Premier League champions prepared to travel to the town of Saalfelden.

While Chelsea players were told to avoid footballer hotspots such as Ibiza, Marbella and Portugal prior to pre-season, other clubs – including Aston Villa – appear to have been more relaxed in letting players decide their own schedule.

There have been multiple sightings of Villa assistant head coach John Terry within the past fortnight at Quinta do Lago, an exclusive Portuguese golf resort.