Football’s traffic lights are now optimistically poised on amber alert as Premier League sides are already in the midst of stepping up their investigations into how to safely house their players if given the green light to resume training in pre-empting the resumption of the league’s season.
Top-flight sides are now busy exploring their options in the event they be required to quarantine their players with a host of ideas discussed including the use of existing facilities at their training grounds, installing temporary accommodation or even to the extent of booking up entire hotels for their use.
Clubs like Manchester City and Tottenham, among others, are even toying with the option of players staying at their training grounds due to facilities already in place. The third floor of City’s headquarters at the City Football Academy, for example, is reserved to serve as four-star bedrooms to house their players.
Former defender Pablo Zabaleta said of the setup at City’s £200m Etihad Campus: “You come here each day thinking, ‘I’d rather be here than my house!’”
While some clubs would require temporary facilities or go for the option of installing them in addition to existing sleeping arrangements for their players, for others the hotel option would possibly be more suitable.
Whatever works, every which way.
At least something positive is beginning to happen now!