With Coronovirus having spread across Europe, and governments scrambling to try and stop that spread, it was inevitable that sporting events would be postponed at some point.
Such large gatherings of people were always going to be viewed as foolish and unnecessary, given the current climate and need to protect as many people as possible.
In that light, then, it seemed somewhat insane that Liverpool’s clash with Atlético Madrid was allowed to take place at Anfield last week.
Madrid has been one of the hotbeds of the COVID-19 in Europe, certainly in Spain, with the country and city currently on lockdown to try and combat it.
So, the UK government’s decision to allow thousands of Atlético fans to travel to Merseyside, potentially spreading the disease among the Liverpool fans, was met with both horror and widespread criticism.
We’ve already covered comments from Italy on the matter, with Sport Mediaset journalist Sandro Sabatini claiming it was ‘close to a crime’.
His sentiments have been echoed by defender Israel Puerto, who is currently at Polish side Slask Wroclaw, and he admits there was shock in Poland at the game going ahead.
“You can’t believe what you’re seeing from Spain,” he told Estadio Deportivo.
They tell me how the government has given rise to that. How did 3,000 people from Atletico Madrid go to Liverpool?
“The Poles were freaking out the next day in the dressing room. I knew that these measures would be taken sooner rather than later, although I did not expect them so quickly.
“It’s the best they can do. This is going to be worse; this is the only solution.”
