Premier League call crisis meeting as clubs refuse to allow stars to leave for international duty to red-list countries

PREMIER LEAGUE clubs will hold a crisis meeting over refusing to release players for international duty in red-list countries. 

Teams fear losing stars for six games after international breaks in both September and October due to quarantine rules.

Getty

Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool and Pep Guardiola’s Man City are declining to release players for duty in South America and Africa[/caption]

PA

Premier League clubs would be badly hit by quarantine rules for players returning from international duty in red-list nations[/caption]

Already Liverpool and Manchester City won’t let six players go to South America and Africa.

Now the Times says the Prem has called an urgent meeting amid concern up to 60 aces facing ten days in isolation if they play in countries on the UK’s coronavirus red list.

It’s thought Fifa hope the British Government will consider exempting international footballers from these quarantine rules ahead of next month’s World Cup qualifiers.

But that seems unlikely – leaving the Prem feeling hard done by compared to other top leagues.

For example, only eight Bundesliga players would be hit by quarantine restrictions in the two upcoming international breaks.

And Fifa is also at odds with European clubs as it tries to force them to release South American stars for September’s qualifiers.

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The European Club Association (ECA) claims its member teams can stand firm as they have a “duty of care” to its players.

The ECA also say ten days of quarantine is longer than clubs would face in most countries

Likewise, PSG have complained to Fifa after football’s governing body increased Lionel Messi‘s release period from nine to 11 days.

That change would scupper the Barcelona legend’s planned home debut against Clermont on September 12.

The Times revealed the fall-out with Fifa in a letter from the ECA to its members.

The ECA stated: “These Fifa decisions were taken unilaterally and against the explicit objection of ECA and the rest of the stakeholders.

“ECA has made clear that it will not accept that a governing body like Fifa abuses its regulatory function to place its commercial interests and those of its member associations above the physical well-being of players and legitimate sporting interests of clubs.”

Liverpool are refusing to release Mo Salah for Egypt’s home World Cup qualifier against Angola on September 2.

And in each of the next two months Brazil will face fellow red-list countries Argentina, Chile and Peru.

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