The new superstrain of Covid-19 is spreading around the UK like wildfire, even with 80% of the country in near total lockdown, and it is gradually spreading around the world as well.
The West Brom coach Big Sam has called for a two-week break for football as a “circuit-breaker” to stop the spread of the virus while it is so virulent, but Arteta thinks that all the tests and protocols for footballers minimises the risk of players spreading it further.
“We are all concerned with our own health and what is going on around us,” Arteta told FourFourTwo. “But at the same time, with all the protocols we have in place, everything we do around the training ground, around football matches, the fact that we play our sport outdoors, it minimises the risks a lot.
“If you see the records since we began to test, it is incredibly positive and I think as long as we can, we have to keep on doing that.
“Obviously we can’t put anybody at risk but I think we have shown that the system is working.
“Okay, in the last week or so something has happened and I think we will have more restrictions and more tests to try to be as efficient as we were before, but I think it can work and I think we can carry on doing it.”
“Well, the importance of football in this society is massive I think,”
“When you ask and you talk to people and discuss what it means to have football games in this difficult period for everybody where there is not so much to do, I think it’s really, really important and what we have to do is just try to do it in a safe way, as we have been doing recently. I think there are many, many positives.”
Of course one positive is that the fans can still watch Arsenal while we are all stuck indoors looking for ways to occupy ourselves, but recently we are seeing more outbreaks at clubs which are causing games to be postponed.
Obviously we don’t yet know the full extent of dangers caused by the new Covid-19 strain, so I don’t think we can rule out a further pause to the season just yet, but I for one am extremely glad that we can still get our weekly football fix!
“Well, the importance of football in this society is massive I think,”
I disagree i think football has not a massive importance in this society.
well i certainly hope so because if it does have a massive importance i think its one of our faults as football is just an entertainment and it should never be of massive importance to any society
Football is only important to Football and its authorities. If Football was played, we would find something else to occupy us and thats what they are worried about. I love Football/Arsenal but it isn’t my life, there are far more important things.
Absolutely and i think that should be the mentality of every football/sports fan out there, if football was not played the society will go on and find a replacement.. i certainly hope that the top league of football nowadays will cease to exist like it is today and be more like the second league in the top countries.. on the lever of championship etc. these clubs have enough fans without these exorbitant amount of transfer money and wages
Society means different concepts to different people I accept your view but do not share it. In normal non Covid times more than a million people go to football matches regularly at all pro and semi pro levels Many more either play the game or have kids or parents who do. That amounts to a lot of people. Personally, I call that society; you do not. CEST LA VIE!
Sorry typo, “wasn’t played”