Though many of the European football leagues had suspended their seasons in light of the virulent spread of the coronavirus, the Premier League issued a statement on Thursday evening to suggest that all of their scheduled games would be taking place as normal at the weekend.
Thereafter, Arsenal announced via their official website that their manager Mikel Arteta had contracted the virus.
That appeared to be the point where those high up at the Premier League decided to spring into action as an emergency meeting has now been convened for Friday morning, as they announced on their website.
Clearly, the expectation is that the powers that be will finally see common sense, and postpone football in England indefinitely, to fall in line with their European counterparts.
Any other outcome is likely to lead to more of the anger that has been seen on social media since the announcement of the emergency meeting, coming as it did only after Arteta’s diagnosis.
Those who work in the game in various capacities were none too happy, as can be seen by the tweets below.
It needed a PL manager to contract the virus for them to act! Embarrassing leadership from the @premierleague
— Gary Neville (@GNev2) March 12, 2020
Is he high profile enough for you all ????? https://t.co/SxgCXoZ0LU
— ???? ???????? (@Towno10) March 12, 2020
Horrible news about Mikel Arteta. Seems bizarre now that the media were being asked to fill out a Coronavirus questionnaire before being allowed to attend his press conference tomorrow.
The Premier League HAS to stop now. No arguments
— Kevin Palmer (@RealKevinPalmer) March 12, 2020
?????
— Cesc Fàbregas Soler (@cesc4official) March 12, 2020
Arteta positive for coronavirus . This is irresponsible and very stupid. Call the bloody games off
— Jeff Stelling (@JeffStelling) March 12, 2020