Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc has rubbished claims Jadon Sancho flew to the UK to get a haircut during the coronavirus lockdown. The Englishman is based in Germany where strict lockdown rules have only just started to ease and footballers have been allowed to return to work as long as they follow guidelines.
The Bundesliga returned to action last month, but reports in Germany claimed Sancho left the country in April to get a haircut from a celebrity barber. Images emerged of Sancho with the hairdresser, Winnie Nana Karkari, and the forward was one of six Dortmund stars to get a trim from the barber.
Zorc blasted Sancho for breaching coronavirus rules, but denied the 20-year-old has made a secret trip to England. He said: ‘To our knowledge Jadon has been in Dortmund for weeks. I even read that we have put him into a two-week long quarantine and faked an injury.
‘I can only say that is completely wrong. Jadon has had a calf injury for weeks, which is why he could not participate in training.’
Zorc revealed Dortmund had confronted Sancho and his team-mates about the incident. ‘We have spoken to both the hairdresser and the player,’ he said. ‘Both have ensured us that the measures of hygiene have been respected at all times. They even wore a protection shield and gloves, which were only taken off for the picture.
‘Obviously this is not right. We have made that clear once again to the players. In this special situation that we are all in due to Covid-19 it is not just the duty of the coaches to keep an eye on discipline.
‘The whole club needs to do that, this includes the board. ‘We have spoken to the players in the past. Also with Jadon. We must not forget Jadon is still a very young player, testing his boundaries.
‘I don’t think I’m accused of protecting him all the time, as I have sanctioned him when there have been misconducts from his side.’