The impact of Covid-19 on the Premier League could still be felt in the coming months after it was reported that a host of English top flight clubs have as few as SIX of their players fully vaccinated against the virus.
The ongoing public health crisis has already laid waste to several sporting events in the past 18 months, forcing the postponement of both the Olympic Games and the European Championships last year, but as English football continues to emerge from its enforced coronavirus slumber which saw fans barred from stadiums and the European transfer market hugely affected, fears are growing that the impact of Covid-19 could still be felt in the Premier League.
Per a report by the Daily Mail, two clubs in England’s top division have as few as six players fully vaccinated against the virus – statistics which pale in comparison to the likes of Wolves, Brentford and Leeds United who are thought to have between 89 and 100% vaccination rates.
The report also suggests that as whole, around 30 to 35% of players are fully vaccinated – compared to 70% in the English Football League (EFL) – but that these figures are expected to rise as some players have received their first jab and are awaiting a second.
These statistics have caused some alarm as English football moves towards winter where viruses such as Covid-19 are more easily spread. It is also thought that teams playing in European competitions such as the Champions League or Europa League have higher vaccination rates compared to those who aren’t – though Wolves, Brentford and Leeds are thought to be exceptions.
However, it is also understood that a host of top Premier League players at some of its biggest clubs are still declining the jab. It was also suggested by the Daily Mail that some Premier League players had refused a request to become involved in a public relations campaign designed to promote the various vaccines.
The issue of player vaccinations is again likely to be a hot topic ahead of the forthcoming international window where some players will be forced to undergo mandatory isolation on return from so-called ‘red list’ countries – with clubs thought to be awaiting formal guidance from the Premier League after voting unanimously to disallow players from travelling to areas deemed as Covid-19 hot spots.
Several players, though, including Manchester United’s Edinson Cavani and Chelsea’s Thiago Silva expressed their disillusionment at the ruling after being forced to miss international fixtures earlier this month.
One potential proposal is to reduce the isolation time for vaccinated players and therefore encouraging a wider take-up of the jab, while FIFA and the UK government have engaged in talks to create Covid ‘bubbles’ which would reduce the need for a player’s isolation on their return from a ‘red list’ country.
The outcome, per reports, could lead to isolation time being reduced to just five days, meaning that players would be required to miss less training and game time with their clubs.
Figure released this week showed that in the days between 13 and 19 September, some 3,154 players and club staff were tested for Covid-19 – with just two positive tests returned as a result.
UFC flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko believes she and sister Antonina would make rapid work of YouTube siblings-turned-boxing wannabes Jake and Logan Paul if the foursome ever faced off.
Shevchenko is among the most dominant champions in her sport and is preparing to defend her women’s 125lbs title for a sixth time against American veteran Lauren Murphy in their co-main event at UFC 266 in Las Vegas this weekend.
Alongside Shevchenko to provide support will be sister and fellow UFC combatant Antonina, who together are two of the most fearsome siblings in combat sports.
According to Valentina, the Shevchenkos’ skills would make them more than a match for boxing novices the Paul bothers, both of whom have been forging controversial careers in the ring on the back of some lucrative celebrity and crossover bouts.
When asked at Thursday’s UFC 266 press conference how long it would take her and Antonina to finish the Pauls in an unspecific form of combat, Valentina had little doubt.
“Zero seconds. It’s not a question. Not even one second,” replied the smiling assassin.
Even in the current environment where crossover fights and celebrity ring cameos are all the rage, it seems unlikely that we would ever find out who would come out on top in a meeting between the far bulkier Paul brothers and the Shevchenko sisters.
However, UFC boss Dana White has previously threatened to unleash double UFC champion Amanda Nunes on Jake Paul, claiming the Brazilian would “put him in a coma.”
Leading up to her title defense against US veteran Murphy, Shevchenko has in any event dismissed the idea that she would return to boxing – even though she has stepped into the ring professionally before.
“I don’t see a reason why I have to do it,” said the 33-year-old fan favorite.
“I have like 12 professional boxing fights and I did it. I know exactly what it feels [like].
“For me being UFC champion, fighting in mixed martial arts, the universal style, when the technique is everything…
“It’s kind of like going to boxing, you can, why not but for me it’s a little bit of a downgrade,” said the UFC icon.
Shevchenko’s next challenge comes in the form of the 15-4 Murphy, who is a heavy underdog going into her bout with one of the most dominant UFC forces of all time.
The pair shared an intense staredown at Thursday’s Las Vegas press conference before they clash at the T-Mobile Arena on Saturday.
“For all the years that I was fighting, it’s kind of hard to surprise me with something special if you’re not a super-human,”said ‘Bullet’ of her rival.
“I know she’s well-rounded, I know she’s strong, I know she’s dangerous. This is everything I have to know about her. But something special, that I put pressure on my shoulders? No.”
An Australian netball association has hit out at the actions of some fans after a boys team, the Queensland Suns, received a torrent of abuse after beating several female rivals to win the under-18 state title.
The coach of the Queensland Suns, Tammy Holcroft, revealed to Australian media in the aftermath of the team’s success in the state championship that several “vulgar comments” had been made towards the team after they stormed to victory by a margin of 46-12 in last weekend’s final, and comes after the team was granted entry to the competition after taking part in exhibition games the year prior.
“They were offered opportunity to progress into competitive status,” Netball Queensland high performance director Demelza Fellowes said.
“They had a fantastic tournament and played really well. So did all of the teams. Ultimately, they made it through to the finals and were really successful.
However, Fellowes also noted that the all-boys team’s inclusion in the tournament had “caused a bit of division“, but she argued that the move was in line with the sport’s pursuit of inclusion and said that their participation will ultimately lead to more men and boys taking up the sport.
“We focused more around them having the opportunity to progress and grow and develop, and also for our female teams, or the other teams in the tournament, to go and progress and have that challenge as well, and put the best foot forward in our high performance pathway,” she said.
“Netball Queensland is really proud of and driven by our strategic direction of inclusivity and providing an opportunity for anyone to belong and experience and play and love our game.
“Inclusion is a huge value for us. This was just an opportunity and platform for the men and boys to continue to grow and continue to love and explore our game.”
However, this wasn’t a unanimous reaction. Several fans online railed against the move to have boys compete against girls, prompting Netball Queensland to issue a statement in which they said that they were “extremely disappointed” at the reaction.
“We want to make clear that there is a place for everyone in our sport,” they said, adding that they “won’t tolerate vilification or abuse in any form in our game.”
“We stand by the decision to choose inclusion over exclusion.”
The statement also affirmed that “change is sometimes uncomfortable” but said that it was “imperative” that men and boys be given a platform to compete “because if you can’t see it, you can’t be it“.
The move comes at a time when the issue of gender in sport has become a hot topic, partly due to several instances of trans athletes competing against women in various sports, such as that of Laurel Hubbard – who was born male – competing against women in recent Olympic weightlifting competition.
They didn't realize that beforehand? It does suck when biological reality smacks you in the face.
Thomas Tuchel is a perfect 3-0 against Pep Guardiola and Manchester City since joining Chelsea, and another win in Saturday’s clash will suggest that the balance of power has changed in English football.
What a difference nine months can make. On this day in January, former Blues boss Frank Lampard was 24 hours away from paying the ultimate price for falling out of the Premier League title race as Roman Abramovich and Marina Granovskaia once again embraced change and casted the club legend aside – a price paid by numerous Chelsea managers throughout the Russian billionaire’s tenure at the club.
German boss Tuchel, himself recently discarded by French powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain, was quickly installed as Lampard’s replacement – with Abramovich offering him just an 18-month contract, a safeguard, perhaps, against further tumult in the head coach’s office.
Now, several months later, Chelsea are European champions and Tuchel was rewarded with a new multiple-year deal.
Tuchel’s influence was almost immediately felt at Stamford Bridge. The club progressed unimpeded through the Champions League as well as securing the coveted top-four finish which seemed improbable under Lampard, but if there was to be a key signifier of the improvements made under the German’s stewardship it was a trio of performances against Pep Guardiola’s Premier League champions-in-waiting Manchester City.
The first, a win in the FA Cup semi-final, was quickly followed three weeks later by an away league win in Manchester, only for the two clubs to meet once more in the Champions League Final just on May 29, where Tuchel made it three wins from three on European football’s biggest stage thanks to a single Kai Havertz goal.
And ahead of the latest meeting between two of world football’s most well-regarded managers on Saturday afternoon, Tuchel and Chelsea can serve a significant warning that there has been a seismic shift atop the balance of power in English football.
It won’t be easy. There have been several doomsday predictions surrounding Guardiola for much of his managerial career but the Spaniard has repeatedly shown a capacity to meet challenges head on. Last season saw his side win just six of their opening 13 games in the Premier League before winning 13 straight and taking the league title at a canter.
Tuchel, though, has shown that he is more than a match for Guardiola’s tactical nous – and has overseen a revolution at Stamford Bridge as he coronated Lampard’s underperforming stars into some of Europe’s best players.
Chelsea have also reloaded up front, adding the goalscoring instincts of Romelu Lukaku to address some of last season’s goalscoring woes – a contrast to Guardiola and Manchester City who came up short this summer in their unceasing pursuit of Tottenham’s Harry Kane.
City have once again stuttered at the start of the Premier League campaign, losing to Tottenham and dropping two points against Southampton, while Tuchel’s Chelsea have shone – conceding just one goal so far this season en route to four wins from five.
This weekend Pep Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel will meet again for the first time since the Champions League final… pic.twitter.com/LDI27TbNUp
Another on Saturday – which would be Tuchel’s fourth against Guardiola and Manchester City so far this year – wouldn’t just confirm Chelsea as legitimate title contenders, it would also suggest that the Manchester club’s status as league standouts is under serious threat.
Speaking to the media ahead of the game, Guardiola appeared to fire a shot across Tuchel’s bow by saying that his side struggled with Chelsea’s “long ball” style.
“They controlled all departments which is why it was difficult in the final of the Champions League against an exceptional team,” he said.
“My impression is we played with a lot of courage with personality but unfortunately we could not do it with the counter-attacks, long balls, second balls were not good enough and they beat us.”
And as Tuchel told the media ahead of the game, another win would be a sign of the consistency he craves at the club.
“It’s a six-pointer between two teams who are clearly rivals for the top four,” he said of the clash.
“They are the example and they are the benchmark at this high level and I’m very happy that we are able to produce these kind of performances and results but we need to prove we can produce this with the same consistency.
“It doesn’t take a miracle to beat City but it is absolutely necessary to bring out our best performance.”
But Tuchel remained coy when he was asked point blank as to who was the better coach.
“This question does not even exist for me, so I cannot answer it. It’s a question for you guys and you can endlessly debate.”
One suspects Chelsea fans might do that for him if he can coax another three points from Guardiola’s team on Saturday afternoon in London.
Boxer Michele Broili has received a provisional ban from the Italian Boxing Federation after he displayed several prominent fascist and neo-Nazi tattoos during a recent fight as police announce investigation into the matter.
Broili, 28, was defeated by his Moroccan counterpart in Trieste last weekend for an iteration of the super-middleweight title, but a debate has formed in his native Italy as to whether someone apparently endorsing facist and Nazi ideologies should be allowed to compete at the sport’s highest level.
The Italian boxer was beaten by unanimous decision by his opponent but viewers watching the broadcast on a livestream were said to be alarmed by various tattoos that Broili displayed.
Broili was seen sporting an ‘SS’ tattoo on his chest, as well as an ’88’ symbol – a veiled code for the term “Heil Hitler“. He also had tattoos representing the ‘totenkopf’ – the group responsible for operating concentration camps during World War II – as well as others noting his support for skinhead organizations.
Furthermore, he was also said to be seen performing a fascist salute to his supporters before the bout – with sporting authorities in Italy understood to be investigating how he was licensed by the Italian Boxing Federation.
“When I got into the ring and saw those tattoos, I was shocked,” said Nourdine after he defeated Broili.
“I found those tattoos obscene. There is no justification. The Italian Boxing Federation should have realized from the beginning that this boxer had those sympathies. Inciting hatred is punishable by law.”
The Italian Boxing Federation responded to the swelling debate by reaffirming that all of its members must restrain from behavior deemed as discriminatory, and that they were referring the matter to an Italian sports body for further investigation – but failed to state why action wasn’t taken soon against the fighter who has competed in 17 professional fights.
However, Broili has been provisionally suspended by the organization until at least November 17 pending further review by the Italian Boxing Federation.
Police have also been confirmed as looking into the situation while prosecutors in Trieste determine if criminal charges should proceed.
“The court considers that the public showing of tattoos with unequivocal Nazi symbols and evocations during an official sports competition represents serious and unjustified behavior for a licensee,” said the Italian Boxing Federation court after applying Broili’s ban.
They also said that his tattoos stand in opposition to “the general principles of equality, of non-violence and non-discrimination at the base of the sports system.”
In Italy, the promotion of fascism is a criminal offence – as is performing a fascist salute, something which is punishable by two years in prison. Broili has yet to comment publicly on the furore but his coach, Denis Conte, said that his fighter is a model professional.
“Michele only talks about sport and only wants to do sport. Michele is the prototype of the athlete who wakes up at four in the morning to train,” he said.
But as far as Nourdine is concerned, the initial justice has already been doled out.
“For me, all this is not normal. But I cannot deny that beating someone with those tattoos is a victory worth double,” he said.
