Under COVID-19 criticism and threats, Premier League loses three games but retains Boxing Day; watch the matches of the day

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A year ago, the Premier League was a phenomenal and not at all pleasant experience for its fans: the traditional Boxing Day matches will be played behind closed doors, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The special date, the day when nearly every elite team and a good chunk of those playing in the lower divisions enter the field for a busy day of football, will have fans this year. But an upsurge in the number of contaminations in England, carried by the Omicron version, canceled part of the celebration.

Of the nine matches to be played this Sunday, three have been postponed. On Thursday, the league announced the cancellations of Liverpool against Leeds and Wolverhampton against Watford. A day later Burnley v Everton was also called off.

Cases of Covid-19 in the UK have increased. In the photo, Chelsea fans protect themselves with masks Photo: PETER CZIBORRA / Action Images via Reuters

The series of postponements, which has been in place for a few days due to the Covid-19 epidemic in the workforce of English clubs, finds itself without the number of athletes required to play matches. Last week, the UK, already in winter, saw a more than 60% increase in average daily infections in seven days: from 53,000 to 84,000 from 16 to 23. 100,000 new infections with daily cases for the first time since the start of the pandemic.

criticism of technicians

Trying to get around the problem, representatives of 20 Premier League teams and league officials met by video conference last Monday to discuss emergency measures. One of the possibilities was the suspension of football in the country until the situation stabilized. But the final decision was to go as far as possible with the schedule. Among the definitions, clubs were advised to enter the pitch if they had at least 13 athletes and a goalkeeper in playing position.

The result has been the target of criticism from coaches and players, including Tottenham coach Antonio Conte. Londoners have already postponed two league games and were unable to play a game against Rennes in the Conference League. Eventually, they ended up giving up.

Antonio Conte criticized the Premier League meeting Photo: David Klein / Reuters

– Frankly, some technicians tried to discuss, asked for solutions, but everything seemed already settled. When there is a wall in front of you, you can talk and ask whatever you want, but the decisions have already been made – said the Italian.

Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola also raised the possibility of a strike, while midfielder Henderson, Liverpool captain, called for the players’ situation to be taken into account by authorities:

– Of course we want to play on the pitch, but I am concerned about the well-being of the players. I don’t think anyone takes this seriously, especially right now when there’s COVID-19 there.

Henderson called for more consideration of the players’ position Photo: OLI SCARFF / AFP

The scheduled shutdown will begin on the 28th, an indicator of the importance of the Boxing Day tradition in the English football calendar. Besides sport, the date is a national holiday with historical roots, celebrated just after Christmas. On the pitch, it’s a day of crowded stands, fueled by families coming together in their towns.

vaccination passport

Since the beginning of December, with the rise of Omicron, the UK has taken strict measures to avoid closing stadium doors again. Fans who wish to watch games with more than 10,000 spectators must present a vaccine passport with two doses or a negative test for COVID-19.

participate #pl matching? Do you want it:

get a full vaccine or show evidence of a negative lateral flow test Complete your COVID-19 self-report on your club’s website Only participate if you can show your COVID passport face cover Follow public health advice pic .twitter.com / 32L0wDDWZq

– Premier League (@premierleague) December 20, 2021

Among the elite players, 77% were fully vaccinated, while 16% did not even receive a single dose of the immunizing agent, which corresponds to the number of clubs.

The following matches are scheduled for Sunday:

West Ham v Southampton (12 p.m., ESPN Brazil broadcast) Tottenham x Crystal Palace (12 hour broadcast, Fox Sports) Norwich x Arsenal (12 p.m.) Manchester City x Leicester (12 p.m.) Aston Villa v Chelsea (2:30 p.m., ESPN Brazil broadcast) Brighton x Brentford (5 p.m., ESPN Brazil broadcast).

On Monday, Newcastle x Manchester United (5 p.m., ESPN Brazil) closed the round.

In an always complicated showdown against the Foxes, the Citizens could open up six points to the leader, Liverpool, the second, who does not play in the round. Meanwhile, third, Chelsea try to stay on top against Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa. Both clubs are still affected by COVID-19, but Lukaku and Hudson-Odoi will be back with the Blues.

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