Pep Guardiola Airs His Fears Concerning International Break and Covid-19 Cases
The global football scene has had a bitter experience because of the Covid-19 pandemic. For the larger part of the year 2020, games had to be canceled indefinitely at some point. Even with the soccer world active with games now, there are still re-current losses as spectators are not allowed to partake.
One of the latest reports is that Manchester City’s Senior Coach – Pep Guardiola; is seriously opposed to the idea of the international break holding.
Any Need to be Worried about the International Break
The international break is a time players are called to their national teams to get the chance to represent their country in various qualifiers, tournaments, and friendly matches. While it is a much-awaited time for many of the national fans and players, the pandemic has hit hard and made it a cause for concern.
This is since many of these players have to cross borders and expose themselves to various things.
A Typical Example
For instance, a clue can be taken from the situation that occurred at Arsenal Football Club – one of the most recognized soccer teams in England.
The Manager of Arsenal Football Club – Mikel Arteta; was one of the first reported cases of the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the football and sporting world at large. However, since his recovery and the return of football, the soccer team has done a good job dealing with the crisis.
They have conducted routine medical checks on players and ensured that the sportsmen stick to preventive measures. However, players like Mohammed Elheny and Sead Kolasinac got the virus when they were on the international break.
This is because clubs and sport regulatory authorities can do very little to prevent the spread of the virus when players are off their radar. It is in light of this, stakeholders like Pep Guardiola are opposed to the idea of having an international break for now.
While he and other people hold this view, there is little they can do to make this a law.