The shutdown has offered an insight into footballers’ lives. There have been glimpses of supersized back gardens and private gyms as Premier League players more accustomed to training at deluxe compounds have sought to stay in shape.
Further down the pyramid, they do not tend to have the same wealth of facilities. “Our lads are having to be really creative,” said Brian Barry-Murphy, manager of League One Rochdale. Hence potential sights of professional footballers in the Greater Manchester trying to work on their fitness in unusual places.
Only Dale’s oldest player, a 40-year-old whose first career goal came before the 1998 World Cup and whose January strike against Newcastle in the FA Cup meant he had scored in four decades, has private facilities. “Aaron Wilbraham is our sole gym owner,” added Barry-Murphy. “Even though he has said in the past he has a pool, I don’t think he has.”
On government orders, public gyms were closed from Saturday. Rochdale’s players had been avoiding them anyway, playing it safe to reduce the risk of infection.
“The feedback from our fitness staff was to avoid gymnasiums because of the guidelines from the government,” Barry-Murphy said. Instead, he added: “I have seen our lads doing canal runs in Manchester or hill runs or running along golf courses. It is finding creative ways of keeping in shape. They have all taken on board what has been said because I do feel they have a great sense they are role models and have to be behaving and showing the rest of us the way to go.”
All professional football in England has been postponed until April 30 but Barry-Murphy said: “In all realism we aren’t going to be back on that date.” It raises the issue not just of when they return, but how long players need to get match sharp.
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Stars who have tested positive
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Former Manchester United player Marouane Fellaini tested positive in China where he plays for Shandong Luneng. He has now been discharged. Reuters -
Juventus' Paulo Dybala said both he and his girlfriend Oriana tested positive though both were in "perfect conditions". AP Photo -
Milan's sports director and club legend Paolo Maldini and his son Daniel, who plays for the same club, tested positive for Covid-19. A statement from the club said both are well. EPA -
Wu Lei of Espanyol. "Wu Lei has mild symptoms and is currently undergoing treatment," the CFA said in a statement, adding that they had been given the news by La Liga strugglers Espanyol. The 28-year-old striker, China's best-known player, is in self-isolation at home in Barcelona, Xinhua news agency said. Getty Images -
Kevin Durant is reportedly among four Brooklyn Nets players who have tested positive for the coronavirus and are in isolation. The injured Durant, who has yet to play for the Nets since signing for the team last year, confirmed to The Athletic website he had tested positive for the virus. "Everyone be careful, take care of yourself and quarantine. We're going to get through this," Durant was quoted as saying. AFP -
Juventus confirmed on Tuesday night that French midfielder Blaise Matuidi had become the second player from the club to test positive for the coronavirus. Italian defender Daniele Rugani was the first player to play in Serie A to test positive last week. EPA -
Valencia's Eliaquim Mangala, left, was one of five players and staff at the club to test positive. "I'm feeling good and I have no symptoms associated with the virus. However, I am confined in house and separated from my family," he said on Twitter. AP Photo -
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta tested positive on March 14 but said he was "feeling better already" the following day. Staff who had been in contact with him were self-isolating. AFP -
Utah Jazz star Rudy Gobert, who apologized for his careless actions before he was diagnosed with novel coronavirus, has pledged to donate more than half a million dollars to health services and arena workers affected by the pandemic. AFP -
Valencia's Ezequiel Garay was the first La Liga player to test positive on March 15. "I tested positive for coronavirus, I feel very well and now all that's left is to do what the health authorities say, which is to isolate myself," he said on Instagram. All football is suspended in Spain. EPA -
Chelsea's Callum Hudson-Odoi was the first Premier League player to test positive. He said on Twitter on March 13: "As you may be aware I had the virus for the last couple of days which I have recovered from. I am following the health guidelines and self-isolating myself from everybody for the week. I hope to see everybody soon and hopefully will be back on the pitch very soon. Reuters -
Juventus' Italian defender Daniele Rugani was confirmed to have the virus on March 12. "You've read the news, so I want to reassure everyone who's worried about me, I'm fine," Rugani said on Twitter. The entire Juventus squad is to spend two weeks in quarantine. AFP -
Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell was the second NBA player to contract the virus. The NBA season has been suspended. AP Photo -
Manolo Gabbiadini of Sampdoria is one of five players to have tested positive at the club. "I still want to tell you that I'm fine, so don't worry. Follow all the rules, stay at home and everything will work out," said Gabbiadini on Twitter. PA Wire. -
Sampdoria's Omar Colley, right, was confirmed to have coronavirus. Lapresse via AP -
Albin Ekdal of Sampdoria tested positive. Italy is one of the worst affected countries. Getty Images -
Fabio Depaoli, left of Sampdoria, said on Instagram that he was "fine" after testing positive. Getty Images -
Morten Thorsby, left, was one of five Sampdoria footballers to test positive. Lapresse via AP -
Fiorentina foward Patrick Cutrone, on loan from Premier League Wolves, is one of three players to test positive at the club. EPA -
German Pezzella, right, of Fiorentina, said on Instagram that his symptoms had disappeared after he tested positive. EPA -
Fiorentina's Dusan Vlahovic was another confirmed case. Fiorentina said in a statement on March 13: "The club is in the process of undertaking all the necessary isolation procedures in accordance with the regulations, starting with identifying all the people who have had contact with the player." EPA -
Hannover's Timo Hubers, right, was the first player in Germany to be diagnosed. Reuters -
Paderborn's Luca Kilian tested positive. The Bundesliga has been suspended until April 2. EPA
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“There is a chance a lot of players are going to be inactive for three, four, five weeks,” Barry-Murphy added. “We are going into a spell which will be like a close season. It is going to be three, four, five, six weeks. The only difference is that it is not at the end of a season so lads are not as fatigued in the footballing sense, they are a little bit fresher."
In close season, however, managers would have longer to prepare for their first game. “In this situation, we are not going to have an ideal lead in,” Barry-Murphy said.
“Everyone has to devise those programmes in a shorter period of time. It is a journey of discovery that we have never encountered before. It is an extraordinary set of circumstances but it is almost like another part of our learning.”
Rochdale have 10 games remaining. Is it possible, then, to run this season into next and in effect have a 56-game campaign when football resumes? “Physically the feedback from the players and everyone involved is there would have to be some sort of break just to allow the players to perform going into next season,” Barry-Murphy said. “I think they are all accepting it is going to be a compressed period in terms of the close season.”
So far, Rochdale have had no cases of coronavirus. If the game resumes, perhaps footballers could be at more risk. “None of the players are worried about themselves,” Barry-Murphy said. “Footballers just want to play but the big concern is what they are going to do to other members of their family. From a footballing perspective, would they be worried? I would say no but I think they feel a responsibility to provide of an example of what should be done.”
