The Premier League, the second-rate championship and also the third and fourth leagues had been suspended until the beginning of April before the weekend – too late, according to Rooney. “Why did we wait until Friday? Why did (Arsenal coach) Mikel Arteta first have to get sick to do the right thing in English football? ”Asked Rooney, who is under contract as a player coach with second division club Derby County.
In a column in The Times newspaper, Rooney complained that the decision to stop playing was far too late. “Until then, you had the feeling that footballers in England were treated like guinea pigs,” wrote the former international.
Lack of leadership quality
“The rest of the sport – tennis, Formula 1, rugby, golf, soccer in other countries – everything was stopped and we were told to continue. I think a lot of footballers were asking: does this have anything to do with the money this is about? ”Said Rooney.
The 34-year-old criticized the British government, the FA football association and the Premier League for lack of leadership and also criticized Prime Minister Boris Johnson. “What he said about sport was: ‘We’ll make a decision later,'” Rooney wrote. “It was thought: ‘He evaded, he left the decision to the FA and the Premier League.’ When the FA and the Premier League didn’t make a decision, I wasn’t surprised. (…) I found it typical of how things are regulated in football. “
Only after it became known that Arsenal coach Arteta had become infected did those responsible take action. The fact that symptoms had previously been reported to three Leicester City players was apparently not enough. Leicester was apparently “not big enough to say chaos,” complained Rooney. “But as soon as bigger clubs like Arsenal are affected, a decision is finally made.”
Anger in the National League
The coaches of the small clubs in the National League were particularly annoyed that the game continues despite the coronavirus pandemic. “We don’t have to put ourselves in this position and still we do, that’s stupid,” said Chesterfield FC coach John Pemberton on Saturday at BBC.
Chesterfield had played an away game in Dover, more than 200 miles away. “We all have families,” said Pemberton. “I have an 81 year old father who lives alone and I can’t visit him now because I don’t know where we are.”
“Not the time to argue”
Alan Devonshire, Maidenhead United coach, was also confused. “You have to ask why the National League didn’t do that too,” he said, referring to the stop in the other English leagues. Eastleigh coach Ben Strevens criticized those responsible even more sharply: “The reason why the game continued is that someone on the National League board only thinks about money. They are not interested in the well-being of the audience. “
League boss Michael Tattersall rejected the criticism. “Now is really not the time to argue. It is time to reflect on what is happening in our society, ”said Tattersal. “The National League continues to check whether the season continues.”
Some clubs canceled their games themselves on the weekend, justifying this with cases of self-isolation in the management or possible contact with the infected within the past few weeks. British media expect the game to stop in the National League next week.
–
