Outbreak risk for pre-season tours
The Coronavirus outbreak is threatening to disrupt Premier League clubs’ plans for lucrative pre-season tours in Asia this summer.
The Far East — particularly China — has become a popular destination for top-flight clubs for summer training camps as they look to capitalise financially on the huge lure of the league in that part of the world.
The virus, which originated in China’s Hubei province, has killed close to 500 people, with another 24,500 people across 25 countries infected.
Pre-season plans are usually finalised at this time of year but clubs who intended to head to Asia, in particular China, are delaying confirming their travel due to the health concerns.
Manchester United’s trip to Malaysia, Indonesia and India for exhibition matches in July are now in jeopardy.
The Malaysian organiser was reported to have said that the deal to bring the Red Devils has been put on hold until next month or April. “Both parties are monitoring the coronavirus outbreak, and if things do not improve then the exhibition matches in Asia will unlikely take place,” said the organiser.
The virus, which originated in China’s Hubei province, has killed close to 500 people, with another 24,500 people across 25 countries infected.
Sportsmail understands at least one Premier League club with strong Asian connections have, for the time being, banned all business-related travel to the region because of the virus.
Last year, Manchester City, Man United, Newcastle, Tottenham, West Ham and Wolves were among the top-flight clubs who went on summer tours to Asia. The aforementioned clubs all spent periods in China.
There is obvious concern from clubs’ medical departments and decisions will be guided by the Foreign Office’s official advice. As it stands, the government are ‘advising against all travel to Hubei Province, and against all but essential travel to the rest of mainland China’.
The Foreign Office, however, are not officially advising against travel to other Asian countries — despite the fact that Coronavirus cases have been reported in Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore — all of which have been popular destinations for English clubs in recent years.
Two people have died of the disease outside of mainland China — one in Hong Kong and one in the Philippines.
There remains hope that the threat will ease in time for clubs to press ahead with plans of Far East tours — and medical staff are being regularly updated by the World Health Organisation with regards to when the outbreak is announced over.