The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Gunners boss returns positive test for virus
CORONAVIRUS: Training centre closed and Arsenal players in selfisolation after Arteta confirmation
Arsenal have announced their head coach Mikel Arteta has contracted the coronavirus.
The whole first-team squad will now be placed in self-isolation.
A club statement read: “Our London Colney training centre has been closed after head coach Mikel Arteta received a positive Covid-19 result this evening.
“Arsenal personnel who had recent close contact with Mikel will now self-isolate in line with government health guidelines. We expect this to be a significant number of people from Colney, including the full first-team squad and coaching staff.”
Arsenal managing director Vinai Venkatesham said: “The health of our people and the wider public is our priority and that is where our focus is.
“Our thoughts are with Mikel who is disappointed but in good spirits. We are in active dialogue with all the relevant people to manage this situation appropriately, and we look forward to getting back to training and playing as soon as medical advice allows.”
The Gunners were due to travel to Brighton tomorrow but the clubs announced late last night that the Premier League game had been postponed.
Uefa has called an emergency meeting on Tuesday to discuss whether the Champions League, the Europa League and Euro 2020 can continue to be played amid the pandemic.
The body has a meeting of its 55 member associations next week to discuss options for all its competitions, including moving the Euros or changing its format, will be considered.
Already next week’s Manchester City v Real Madrid and Juventus v Lyon Champions League matches have been postponed, as has “at least” the next two rounds of matches in Spain’s LaLiga.
Real’s players had been quarantined as a precautionary measure after a member of the club’s basketball team tested positive for coronavirus. On Wednesday night Juventus announced their player Daniele Rugani had contracted the virus.
A statement from Uefa yesterday said: “In the light of the ongoing developments in the spread of Covid-19 across Europe and the changing analysis of the World Health Organisation, Uefa has today invited representatives of its 55 member associations, together with the boards of the European Club Association and the European Leagues and a representative of FIFPro, to attend meetings by video conference on
Tuesday March 17 to discuss European football’s response to the outbreak.
“Discussions will include all domestic and European competitions, including Uefa Euro 2020. Further communication will be made following those meetings.”
Scotland’s potential Euro 2020 playoff final against Norway would be played behind closed doors if Uefa give the go-ahead.
The Norwegian FA has cancelled all club football until April 15 after their public health institute recommended events with more than 500 fans be cancelled or postponed.
Lars Lagerback’s side would take on Serbia in an empty 28,000-capacity Ullevaal stadium at the semi-final stage on March 26. And should Norway progress to the final and play the victors of the Scotland v Israel game, that clash would also be played behind closed doors in Oslo on March 31.
Leicester City have confirmed three of their players are in self-isolation on medical advice from the NHS after showing “symptoms consistent with common seasonal illness”.
Manager Brendan Rodgers said: “We’ve had a few players that have shown symptoms and signs. We’ve followed procedures and they have been kept away from the squad.”
Meanwhile, England’s friendlies with Denmark and Italy at the end of the month are expected to be cancelled.
Wales’ friendly against the United States on March 30 has been postponed and the Football Association of Ireland has announced all football activity has been suspended until March 29.