The manager of Manchester City, coach Pep Guardiola has urged fans to come to the Etihad Stadium for the Premier League match between his team and Leicester City with face masks.
The Premier League match is one of the 6 Boxing Day games that has been permitted to go ahead amid the rising cases of coronavirus in the league.
Manchester City will host Leicester City at the Etihad Stadium at 16:00 later today, December 26. Based on government regulations, fans are expected to show proof of double vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test before they can be allowed into the stadium.
In addition to that, Pep Guardiola wants the fans to wear face masks to minimize the risk of spreading the dreaded coronavirus.
Recall that since the first week of December, a series of Premier League fixtures have had to be postponed due to the outbreak of the virus.
The outbreak of the virus has forced the Premier League board to meet with the league clubs, managers, and clubs’ captains. Despite the number of cases in the league, the league board and the 20 clubs have agreed to continue with the league.
However, there are speculations that the Premier League board is considering playing the remaining fixtures in the 2021-2022 season behind closed doors.
But coach Pep Guardiola feels the situation should not get that bad. Hence, he advocated that the spectators should do more to help limit the spread of the virus.
When he was asked whether he would want the Premier League to be played behind closed doors, coach Pep Guardiola said: “I wouldn’t love it.
“You can’t imagine how different it is playing with people than without people. It doesn’t compare.
“In the end, we played behind closed doors so the economy of world football would survive, for the broadcasters. Thanks to that, we kept getting our salaries and could play football for the people.
“Hopefully it won’t happen again, but cases are raised all around the world. These people go to the stadiums and can contaminate.
“There are people in the stadiums who don’t use masks, and that surprises me the most. You walk in the street, you go to the big malls, to places to buy presents for the family and no one uses masks.
“Vaccinations, booster jabs, the people [can] decide – but a part of that has to be social distancing and masks. It’s the best way to protect ourselves, our families, and the rest of the people.
“Like this, the restaurants could still be open, and football could go on. I’m not a scientist or a doctor but I trust the doctors and scientists because they know more than I know.
“I want to trust the people who know and they say this is the safest way – take a vaccine. People don’t die when they take a vaccine.
“Wearing a mask is so important, like social distancing and hand sanitizers, so let’s try to do it. Otherwise, it may [come back] again and again and again.”
Pep Guardiola urges the government to mandate wearing masks in stadiums, with fears football may be thrown back behind closed doors 😷 pic.twitter.com/trLSILhsHs
— Hayters TV (@HaytersTV) December 26, 2021
Pep Guardiola and his team need to beat Leicester City at the Etihad Stadium to maintain their three-point gap between them and second-placed Liverpool.
