Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho has accepted he was in the
wrong for holding a one-on-one training session with midfielder Tanguy Ndombele
in a public park in London.
Mourinho was pictured on social media flaunting government
rules by meeting up with the midfielder Tuesday, even though they kept to
social distancing guidelines.
Fellow Spurs players Davinson Sanchez and Ryan Sessegnon
were spotted running side by side in a separate session, while Serge Aurier
filmed himself on Instagram running alongside a friend.
“I accept that my actions were not in line with
government protocol and we must only have contact with members of our own
household,” said the Portuguese manager.
“It is vital we all play our part and follow
government advice in order to support our heroes in the NHS and save
lives.”
London Mayor Sadiq Khan told the BBC the players and Mourinho should be leading by example.
“My concern is people, particularly children, who
might support Spurs or follow football may see these images, pick up a paper,
watch the internet and think, well if it’s OK for them, why isn’t it OK for
me?” he said.
The Premier League has been suspended since mid-March due
to the spread of COVID-19.
The British government has introduced a strict series of
measures to prevent the spread of the virus and Tottenham have reminded players
of their responsibilities.
The club said last week they would be using the
government’s furlough financial assistance programme for non-playing staff, a
move that was seen as controversial and attracted a lot of criticism.
