Our Coronavirus Football Updates page will keep you up to date with coronavirus pandemic and how it’s affecting Spurs, Premier League and the rest of the footballing world. This page is updated regularly making sure you know all there is to know about football’s coronavirus crisis.
When will Premier League football return after the coronavirus outbreak?
25th March 2020
A definite date has not been set by either the Premier League, FA or the EFL for the return of football in the UK however, the Premier League have issued a statement which states that Premier League football (or any other professional level) will not return until April 30th 2020 at the earliest.
However, a report by the Mirror on March 24th stated that Premier Leauge clubs, including Tottenham Hotpsur don’t expect to resume their season until June 1st at the earliest and football clubs don’t expect to be back in full training until May 1st. That would give clubs a month long period to get players back up to full fitness and would effectively be a pre-season for the remaining postponed games left this season.
Are there any Premier Leauge players with Coronavirus?
24th March 2020
Chelsea and England forward Callum Hudson-Odoi is currently the only Premier League player to have been tested positive for COVID-19 on March 13th 2020. However, the Premier League star has since made a full recovery from the virus.
Many players have shown symptoms of the COVID-19 virus but whether they have contracted the virus is yet to be confirmed and is unlikely to be confirmed as Premier League professional footballers are not deemed to be at high-risk.
Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy had been self-isolating for two weeks having come into contact with someone who had tested positive for the virus but it’s unknown whether the French defender had contracted coronavirus himself.
27th March 2020
Brighton & Hove Albion Chief Executive Paul Barber has confirmed that one Brighton footballer has tested positive for coronavirus and is recovering well. Three Brighton players were showing the usual symptoms of coronavirus but only one player has tested positive.
Barber refused to name the Brighton football who has tested positive for coronavirus and stated that players are only being tested once they are showing signs of the typical symptoms associated with coronavirus.
All members of the Brighton playing squad and coaching staff are staying at home until the UK Government announce that non-key workers can go back to work.
Are there any Premier League managers with Coronavirus?
25th March 2020
Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta was the only Premier League manager confirmed to have coronavirus but has since recovered from the COVID-19 virus.
27th March 2020
After recovering from Coronavirus, Mikel Arteta has said that people need to be more emotionally open and we can’t forget about this pandemic once coronavirus has been defeated.
Arteta had self-isolated in his bathroom and bedroom for three days before his wife fell ill with coronavirus.
Arteta said:
“But how important is touching each other, feeling each other and hugging each other? I miss that with a lot of the people I love. We have to be emotionally more open.”
Will the Premier League be played behind closed doors?
25th March 2020
It’s extremely possible that the remaining Premier League fixtures could be played behind closed doors with the whole of the UK being told to stay indoors unless it’s for essentials or work. Watching football wouldn’t fall under those two stipulations.
The PFA have suggested that professional footballers are realistic about finishing the remaining fixtures off behind closed doors having initially been against the idea.
The football authorities are yet to make an announcement on whether the remaining postponed fixtures will be played behind closed doors.
3rd April 2020
Premier League executives are entertaining the idea of playing the remaining nine Premier League fixtures in a World Cup style fixture schedule in the Midlands. A neutral venue would be selected to play the remaining Premier Leauge matches with all teams being in quarantine for the duration however the Premier League have told fans their will be no quick answers. Premier League executives and club officials are scheduled to meet again today.
Will the Premier League season be cancelled?
25th March 2020
The Premier League season at this point won’t be cancelled. There is a law enforced by the FA that states all domestic seasons have to finish have to finish before June 1st, however this rule has been lifted indefinitely during the coronavirus outbreak. The Premier League season is currently postponed and fixtures are not cancelled.
The Athletic have reported that Premier League clubs could collectively have to pay back £672 million to television rights holder if the season isn’t complete to these clubs, including Tottenham Hotspur are keen to resume the season at the earliest and safest point to avoid anymore financial implications.
What are Premier League clubs doing to stop coronavirus?
26th March 2020
Whilst at the moment it is impossible to stop coronavirus without a vaccine being create yet, some Premier League clubs have come together to create the #FootballUnited campaign which aims to help local communities by offering them money and support during the coronavirus pandemic.
Clubs such as Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea have joined forces in a bid to aid the communities that are so important to the clubs. Big name Premier League footballers such as Rhys James, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Hector Bellerin are all supporting the campaign. The aim is to raise £100,000.
Chelsea Manager Frank Lampard has donated £10,000 to Help Them Help Us which is an appeal fund for those who are searching for a cure for the coronavirus but also supports NHS staff by helping them fund protective equipment.
Are Premier League players and staff getting paid during the coronavirus outbreak?
3rd April 2020
All 20 Premier League clubs are currently playing their playing staff. However there have been calls by the government for Premier League players to cut their wages to help fund non-playing staff members wages. Some Premier League clubs have taken the UK Government on their furlough scheme and have either placed workers on temporary leave or 80% pay but some clubs are still paying all staff members their full wage.
Premier League clubs are not contractually allowed to cut players wages without permission and agreement by the players’ union, PFA and the LMA.
Which Premier League clubs are paying their staff during the coronavirus outbreak?
Some Premier League clubs have made the decision to furlough sections of their non-playing staff whilst other clubs have promised to continue to pay their staff for the time being. The UK Government has urged Premier League players to take a wage cut to help fund other staff members’ wage but the PFA have stated that if football clubs can afford to pay all staff members wages then they should do so without anybody taking a pay cut.
Here are the Premier League clubs who’ve made a public decision on wage cuts.
3rd April 2020
Arsenal
Arsenal have stated that they will pay all casual workers up until the end of April where the decision will be reviewed again.
Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth have placed ‘a number of’ staff members on furlough as the government will pay those affected 80% of their wage. Bournemouth are still paying the other 20%. Manager Eddie Howe, assistant coach Jason Tindall, chief executive Neill Blake and technical director Richard Hughes have all taken pay cuts.
Brighton
Brighton are continuing to pay their staff but manager Graham Potter and executives Dan Ashworth and Paul Barber have taken voluntary three month pay cuts.
Burnley
Burnley are paying all staff members during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Crystal Palace
Palace Chairman Steve Parish pledged to pay all staff members, including matchday staff during the outbreak.
Everton
Everton are continuing to pay all their staff members a full wage and are ensuring casual workers at the club will be paid too.
Newcastle United
Newcastle United have furloughed all non-playing staff and became the first Premier League club to put non-playing staff on temporary leave. Newcastle have asked staff members to apply for the coronavirus job retention scheme so that the government will pay 80% of their wage whilst the club will pay the other 20%.
Norwich City
Similarly to Newcastle United, Norwich City have placed non-playing staff on the government backed coronavirus job retention scheme and workers will still receive a full wage. Norwich players, coaching staff and executives have also donated £200,000 to those in need in the Norfolk area amidst the coronavirus outbreak.
Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has announced that all 550 non-football staff will have their pay cut by 20% for the next two months and Spurs will use the furlough scheme where appropriate.
Do any Tottenham Hotspur players have coronavirus?
25th March 2020
No Spurs players have currently been tested positive for coronavirus. However, Son Heung-min had been self isolating in his home country of South Korea after he travelled there for an operation on his fractured arm. Son’s decision to self-isolate was a precautionary one rather than a reactive one.
What are Spurs players doing during the coronavirus outbreak?
25th March 2020
Tottenham Hotspur‘s players and staff are all under strict instruction by the UK Government not to leave the house unless it’s for essentials or to exercise once on a daily basis whilst we are still in a coronavirus pandemic. All Spurs players have been given individual tailored fitness plans for them to carry out at home in a safe environment to keep their fitness at a good level in anticipation of a return to Premier League action.
Spurs defender Toby Aldweireld has pledged to donate dozens of tablets to local hospitals and hospices so that those who are most vulnerable and suffering from Coronavirus infection can contact and stay in their touch with loved ones. Jan Vertonghen has also taken to social media to show his support for NHS workers who are currently working around the clock to help stunt the outbreak.
Spurs manager Jose Mourinho took time out on Monday 23rd March to deliver care packages to the eldery residents of Enfield. On behalf of Age Uk and Love Your DoorStep, Mourinho pledged to help those in the area who are most vulnerable.
How are Spurs coping with the COVID-19 outbreak?
25th March 2020
Tottenham Hotspur, as like other Premier League clubs have been affected greatly by the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. Spurs were the only Premier League in London who were continuing with training up until last week where the decision by the club was made to halt all training.
That decision by Daniel Levy and Spurs was also met with an official statement issued by the Spurs Chairman. The statement communicated with the fans that all fan facing operations were to cease immediately in a bid to try and stop the spread of Coronavirus between employees and fans of Spurs.
Spurs also decided to shut all enquiry phone lines down too so that staff members could work from home and operate relevant enquiries via dedicated email addresses.
Are Spurs paying their staff during the coronavirus outbreak?
3rd April 2020
Tottenham Hotspur announced this week that all 550 of Spurs’ non-playing staff will have to take a 20% pay cut for at least two months as the club utilised the Government backed furlough scheme. Workers who are affected will still receive 80% of their salaries.
In a statement released by Tottenham Hotspur, Chairman Daniel Levy said: “In order to protect jobs we need to reduce the remuneration of all 550 non-playing directors and employees for April and May by 20% utilising, where appropriate, the Government’s furlough scheme.”
Which other football leagues have been postponed due to Coronavirus?
25th March 2020
The following elite competitons have been postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak:
Have any footballers tested positive for coronavirus?
25th March 2020
There have been a number of high-profile footballers who’ve tested positive for COVID-19. Juventus’ Blaise Matuidi, Paulo Dybala and Daniel Rugani have all tested positive and a number of Serie A players such as former Wolves forward Patrick Cutrone and Manolo Gabbiadini have all tested postitive.
West Brom forward Charlie Austin has tested positive for the virus and Portsmouth’s James Bolton, Andy Cannon, Sean Raggett and Haji Mnoga have also been tested positive.
Marouane Fellaini has tested positive along with Valencia’s Eliaquim Mangala & Ezequiel Garay.
There have been three confirmed cases for players in the Bundesliga and one confirmed case in Ligue 1.
Have any football leagues been cancelled due to coronavirus?
27th March 2020
There are some football leagues that have been cancelled due to coronavirus. In England, all football leagues under National League level have been cancelled for this current season with all results being null and void. This means that no teams under the National League level in England will face either promotion or relegation.
Women’s football has also been affected by this. All professional Women’s Football Leagues under the Women’s Super League and Championship will be cancelled for this season will all results being expunged because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Football at grassroots level in England have been stopped and cancelled for this season due to coronavirus but it’s unknown whether results will be void.
In an official statement, the English Football Assocation said: “Today’s steps take into account the financial impact during this uncertain period, whilst considering the fairest method on how the sporting outcomes for the season will be decided with the integrity of the leagues in mind.”
