Newcastle's Bruce: Morally wrong to play amid pandemic
Newcastle United manager Steve Bruce said Friday that it's not morally right for the Premier League and the English Football League to continue playing amid a worsening pandemic and a rise in outbreaks at various clubs.
"Financially, it's right to play on, but for me, morally, it's probably wrong," Bruce told reporters, including BBC Sport's Alistair Magowan. "I understand people want to see a game of football, but we are just as vulnerable as everybody else."
Bruce has witnessed the effects of COVID-19 up close. At least 19 players and staff members tested positive over several weeks, leading the Premier League to postpone Newcastle's Dec. 4 fixture against Aston Villa, the first of three matches that were rescheduled because of outbreaks.
Club captain Jamaal Lascelles only recently returned to training, having spent nearly two months battling the virus, but Newcastle winger Allan Saint-Maximin is still struggling with the long-term effects. The 23-year-old last appeared for the Magpies in November.
"The speed which it hit our club within hours of each other, it was quite incredible how it rips through you," Bruce added. "It's difficult to contain and stop, and it leaves people sick."
In the lower tiers, more than 60 games have been called off.
The Premier League said it's still confident in its protocols despite reporting a season-high 40 cases over the last week. To ramp up measures, the league is now testing players and staff twice weekly.
West Bromwich Albion boss Sam Allardyce recently called for the league to suspend the season, and he expressed particular concern over the spread of a new coronavirus variant that appears to be more contagious.
"I'm 66 and the last thing I need to do is catch COVID," Allardyce said. "Probably players will overcome it, but it's more difficult for someone like me, so I'm very concerned for myself and football in general."
However, Manchester United coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said Friday that he feels safe within the club's bubble and hopes the Premier League can continue to provide the public with an escape from reality.
"I hope we can continue playing because it's a positive impact for anyone," Solskjaer said. "I feel at home when you don't have a game yourself, you're looking forward to watching a game on telly, and the mental well-being of football has been a big positive, I think."
The U.K. reported a record 68,053 cases Friday and 1,325 related deaths. Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, declared an emergency with one in 30 people in the capital now testing positive.