(Football news) With the international break on the horizon, football players in the Premier League would be relieved to know that those travelling to red-list countries would be exempt from hotel quarantine provided they are fully vaccinated. Instead, players who have received both the doses of vaccination will have a 10 day ‘segregated isolation’ in which they will be allowed to leave once a day to train or play matches.
With the ongoing debate after the Premier League had banned its players from fulfilling their international duty in red-listed countries, a resolution has finally been found which would satisfy all parties involved. A Government spokesperson said “We have worked closely with football authorities to achieve an outcome that balances the interests of both club and country while maintaining the highest levels of public health and safety."
"Our best defence against the virus is vaccination and these new measures will allow fully vaccinated players to fulfil their international duties in the safest, most practical way possible, while allowing them to train and play with their clubs as early as possible on their return."
Earlier this week, the Premier League had announced that it would be ‘rewarding’ clubs that had the highest number of vaccinated players. There have been widespread concerns about the number of vaccinated players in England’s top flight with a survey by Sky Sports claiming that 13 of 20 top tier clubs have fewer than 50% of players vaccinated.
However, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has claimed that this isn’t a ‘real’ solution. He said “10 days' quarantine, allowed to play the games, to go work, not allowed to live at home, but don't have to live in a hotel chosen by any authorities. Food has to be delivered in front of your room door, you're not allowed any visitors.
"If that's the solution I don't know where it's coming from. In our case we talk about the Brazilian players (Fabinho and Alisson), Kostas Tsimikas and Sadio Mane. It would mean they go for 10-12 days with their national teams and then go another 10 days away from their families in quarantine. That's 22 days and then two weeks later is the next international break. It doesn't sound like a real solution.
"Some countries are on the red list in the UK but not for France, Germany. Players are always in bubbles, here and on international duty, so I don't know how that's different to what it already was.
"I don't think it's been properly thought through. It feels a bit like somebody opens the door in an important office in the government and says, 'by the way, we still have to sort that out with the footballers. They don't like the situation with the hotel? Let them go to another hotel.'
"Come on boys. We're taking people out of normal life for three weeks for no real reason. We take care of our players when they live here and their families. They don't do anything else. They go home, come to training and go home.
"We put them in a hotel and deliver the food in front of their door? That's just not right, that we move responsibility to the players. Do we want that, is that okay for you, can you do that? If you don't want it, don't go to your national team. That's just not right.
"I don't expect the government to be 100 percent in a Premier League situation and think about the need of specific players, but the Premier League has to fight for our players."
