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LONDON. — Wayne Rooney says the government and football authorities have treated footballers as “guinea pigs” during the coronavirus outbreak.
Elite football in Britain has been suspended until at least April 3, with the English Premier League saying “conditions at the time” will determine its return.
And Rooney has criticised the time it took for football authorities to postpone matches due to the coronavirus pandemic, but says they made “the right call in the end”.
The English Premier League and EFL postponed all fixtures until April 4 and 3 respectively at the earliest due to the threat of the coronavirus while the FA Women’s Super League and FA Women’s Championship fixtures have also been postponed.
Those decisions came at an “emergency club meeting” on Friday after Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta and Chelsea midfielder Callum Hudson-Odoi had already confirmed they tested positive for coronavirus.
Writing in The Times, Rooney admits he and his Derby team-mates were “anxious” while waiting for updates at the training ground. The former England striker also proposed a radical schedule shake-up which could see the current season being concluded in the summer, and the next two kicking off in winter-time as a result.
“For players, staff and their families it has been a worrying week,” he said.
“One in which you felt a lack of leadership from the government and from the FA and Premier League.” Writing in his column in the Times, the former England captain said: “The rest of sport — tennis, Formula 1, rugby, golf, football in other countries — was closing down and we were being told to carry on.” — Sky Sports.
Online Reporter