Tottenham Hotspur have reminded players of their responsibilities during Britain’s coronavirus lockdown after pictures and video on social media emerged of manager Jose Mourinho and several members of his squad that appeared to show them flouting social-distancing rules.
Portuguese boss
Mourinho was pictured training with Tanguy Ndombele on Hadley Common, while
Davinson Sanchez and Ryan Sessegnon were seen running side by side in the same
public park in north London.
Spurs full-back
Serge Aurier also posted a video of himself jogging alongside another person on
Instagram.
The Premier League
has been suspended since mid-March due to the spread of COVID-19.
The outbreak has
seen the British government introduce a strict series of measures which, while
they allow individuals to go out for a walk or exercise once a day, state they
must remain at least two metres apart unless they are with a member of the same
household.
“All of our players
have been reminded to respect social distancing when exercising outdoors,” said
a Tottenham spokesperson on Tuesday.
“We shall continue
to reinforce this message.”
Tottenham had
already been criticised during the outbreak for applying to the British
government’s furlough financial assistance programme for company wage bills last
week on the same day it was revealed Spurs chairman Daniel Levy was paid £7
million ($8.7 million) last season.
Although Levy is
among the Spurs staff members taking a 20 percent pay cut, the north London
club have come under pressure to follow European champions and Premier League
leaders Liverpool in reversing their decision to use public money to pay
employees.