Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta tests positive for Covid-19

Arsenal Football Club manager Mikel Arteta tested positive for Covid-19 after coming into contact with Olympiakos owner Evangelos Marinakis during their Europa League match.

The club released a statement on Thursday (March 12) stating that Arsenal personnel who had come into contact with Arteta would begin self-isolation in accordance to the Government’s healthcare guidelines. They also offered their support to Arteta and the players and staff of the club. The club’s statement can be read here.

Arteta took to twitter on Friday thanking everyone for their support and stating that he was feeling better. He also thanked the Premier League (PL) for making the right decision. The PL had initially planned to carry on the weekend games but after Arteta and Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi tested positive for the virus, they had an emergency meeting. The outcome of the meeting was to suspend all English professional football until April 3.

The Bundesliga was the last of Europe’s professional leagues to suspend their games after two Hannover players tested positive for the virus. Daniele Rugani of Italian side Juventus had also tested positive for the virus earlier this week, leading to Juventus and Inter Milan having players and staff who came into contact with him to self-quarantine themselves.

Juventus have around 121 staff in self-quarantine and Football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, who had returned to Portugal to visit his mother, will remain there instead of returning to Turin to see out his isolation.

With all major leagues in Europe suspended, Uefa has also decided to suspend all Champions League and Europa League games until further notice. More importantly, they will discuss the postponement of Euro 2020 via an emergency video conference on Tuesday (March 17). /TISG