Guardiola Vows To Ground Man City Stars If They Face Quarantine

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola will join Liverpool counterpart Jurgen Klopp in preventing his players from travelling for internationals if they would be required to quarantine on their return.

Under current coronavirus guidelines, players arriving in Britain from “red-list” countries, including Brazil and Argentina, are subject to 10 days’ hotel confinement.

FIFA has given clubs dispensation to prevent players who may be affected by the regulations from joining up with their countries during this month’s international window, which includes World Cup qualifiers.

Klopp said earlier this week he would not allow some players to travel and several other Premier League managers have followed suit.

Guardiola, speaking on Friday, said he never wanted to stop players from representing their country, but would make an exception as his side closed in on the Premier League title.

“I think it makes no sense if the players go to the national team and then have to isolate for 10 days when they come back,” he said.

“We’ve worked incredibly tough for seven, eight or nine months and after the international break comes the real part of the season, and (if) important players, maybe six, seven, eight, nine players cannot play for 10 days, it makes no sense.

“They are not going to fly. That’s for sure. If they can fly, play with the national team and come straight back to training, they’ll fly.”

Some nations have moved fixtures in order to try to avoid travel restrictions.

Portugal have announced they will play their “home” World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan in Turin, while Norway will face Turkey in Malaga.

Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho said he wanted to wait to see if more fixtures were moved before making a decision on his own players.

“Let’s see what is going to happen, where the matches are going to be played and of course the clubs have the right to protect themselves because Jurgen is right, the clubs pay the players,” he said.

-AFP