Premier League clubs and their players could face tight sanctions if they continue to circumvent the updated coronavirus rules of the top flight, especially the identification of goals around.
Football governing bodies have come under intense pressure from the Government to remove preventive breaches of social distance rules on and off the pitch following a series of high-profile incidents.
A new guide was issued by the Premier League last week which stated that players must avoid ‘unnecessary communication at all times’ including ‘handshake and hugging ’, as well as instructions for wearing face masks on the bench, spot checks on dressing rooms and team buses to ensure social distance measures are followed.
Manchester United stars broke Covid’s new rules by signing as a group on Tuesday night
Everton players also ignored the rules when marking Alex Iwobi ‘s goal against Wolves
But players have not shown that they are bringing the new rules on board as the stars of Everton, Wolves, Sheffield United and Manchester United rose close and personal after scoring vital goals in Tuesday night’s games. .
The Premier League says clubs should investigate and control ‘individual crimes by relevant people’.
His guidance adds: ‘Failure to do so may result in the league taking disciplinary action alone against the appropriate person, where appropriate, and / or against the club. ‘
However, according to The Times, players in Wednesday night ‘s games and games will move under even greater scrutiny to ensure the new rules are followed.
The Premier League is said to be ‘expected to improve the behavior of players and coaches in the coming days’ amid fears that a breach of rules could force politicians to suspend the season.
And sanctions are ready to be imposed if players continue to evade the rules as the situation across the UK worsens.
On Wednesday, the UK recorded 1,564 more deaths from Covid-19 and 47,525 new infections.
Clubs could face sanctions if they continue to break rules, as Wolves players did on Tuesday
Sheffield United players also took over after scoring in their first win of the league season
The Premier League and FA sent letters to clubs this week to remind them of their responsibilities to follow the new direction. But clearly the rules were not ignored by the teams in action Tuesday.
The Premier League is not thought to be in immediate danger of being postponed by the Government fully focused on fighting Covid and implementing their immunization program.
But they have made it clear that a brutal breach of the rules will not be accepted in public and the optics must change immediately.
It also comes after a breach of Covid’s rules by seven Premier League players from five clubs at Christmas, when they were in attendance at breaking parties
Speaking on Wednesday, health secretary Matt Hancock said: ‘I think elite sports are important because these are difficult times, and it’ s important to watch football on television because of there are a lot of things you can’t do.
‘I know the Premier League is really thinking hard about this. . . they have special arrangements to ensure that the players are safe and have a test system, but I think it is important that everyone respects not only the letter but the spirit the rules. ‘
And sports minister Nigel Huddleston also tweeted: ‘Everyone in the country needs to change the way they interact with people and ways of working. Football players are the same.
There is a covid secure guide for football. Football players have to follow them and football authorities enforce them – hard. ‘
Jonathan Van-Tam, England’s deputy medical officer, said on Wednesday that footballers should distance themselves socially after scoring.
Asked on LBC by Nick Ferrari whether footballers should stop scoring goals with a group hook, Professor Van-Tam said: ‘All close communication should human beings could avoid it because one in three of us will get the disease and we will have no symptoms at all.
So yes, I’m scared of the football point, on the sports point, I agree with you.
‘For now let’s be very clear: disease rates are very high across the country.
‘It would be much more different if we had a very dispersed circulation of very high (infectious) and very low (infectious) areas, and such a sports exchange would make a greater difference.
Sports minister Nigel Huddleston tweeted on Wednesday that players must follow the rules
‘But the basic point for now – and (chief medical officer) Chris Whitty has said this and it means, and I mean that too – is that we have to stay now. at home, keep off the streets, stay out of the shops, stay apart – unfortunate and unlikely though – and let the NHS do its job of dealing with the thousands of people who are ill, and let the NHS do its job of rolling out our most advanced vaccination program ‘ever undertaken.’
On Tuesday, Dr Julian Tang, a consultant specialist at Leicester Royal Infirmary and Associate Professor at the University of Leicester, said the approach to ‘marking scrums’, which are at high risk for dispensing, educating players and then imposing sanctions, if only so that the majority of the population can be vaccinated.
‘If you have a scrum you have a close connection for several seconds and that can transmit the virus.
‘You go home and you can spread it among your own bubbles that could contain old friends and family, which could put them in hospital or cause their death.
‘So why risk yourself or your acquaintances from one 10 or 20 second scrum. You don’t have to.
‘If it happens once you get a yellow card and it happens again you are off.
It is reassuring to that connection, realizing that it could have a major impact. ‘