The Premier League match between Manchester City and Arsenal, set to take place tonight, has been postponed as a precautionary measure due to concerns regarding the coronavirus outbreak.
This decision follows the news that some players and staff members of Arsenal may have come into contact with Evangelos Marinakis, the owner of Olympiacos, who has since been diagnosed with Coronavirus.
Marinakis, a wealthy Greek businessman who also owns Nottingham Forest, had attended the match between Olympiacos and Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium last month, where he interacted with numerous players and officials.
As a precautionary measure, the affected players and staff have been placed in self-isolation for a 14-day period, with Thursday marking the final day of this isolation period, as the meeting between Marinakis and Arsenal officials occurred 13 days ago.
A statement from the Premier League explained: “Following medical advice, Arsenal FC and Manchester City FC have agreed to postpone their scheduled fixture for this evening to allow for a full assessment of the situation.”
“As a result, the Premier League has decided to reschedule tonight’s match.”
The club also issued a statement confirming that some players have been placed in self-isolation.
“We have identified that several players came into contact with the Olympiacos owner immediately after the game,” the statement read.
“Though the medical advice indicates that the risk of them developing Covid-19 is extremely low, we are strictly following the Government guidelines, which recommend self-isolation for anyone who has been in close contact with a confirmed case of the virus for 14 days from the time of contact.
“Consequently, those players will be unavailable for tonight’s match against Manchester City, and the Premier League has decided to postpone the game.”
“The players will remain in self-isolation until the completion of the 14-day period.
“In addition, four Arsenal staff members who were in close proximity to Mr. Marinakis during the match will also abide by the 14-day self-isolation recommendation.
“We understand the disappointment this may cause to our supporters, particularly those who were traveling to Manchester for tonight’s match. Rest assured, tickets will remain valid for the rescheduled match.”
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