Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti says he is ‘not interested’ in discussions about when the Premier League should be restarted.
The Premier League followed the rest of Europe in suspending the league until next month yesterday after Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta tested positive for Coronavirus.
The Gunners were subsequently put in self-isolation with several other clubs following suit, namely those who have played Arsenal recently.
Everton are one of them, with the club announcing they had put the squad and staff into isolation after a member of the first-team squad reported symptoms similar to Covid-19.
The Premier League was somewhat slow in deciding to postpone fixtures, with the other top European leagues deciding to do so relatively quickly in reaction to the ongoing spread of the virus.
Ancelotti has backed the decision, echoing Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp in insisting health comes first.
“It was time. It was a fair and correct decision in the face of the scenario of the past few hours,” he told Gazzetta Dello Sport.
“There was no way forward. Health is the priority. For everyone: teams, fans, the media, workers engaged in football.”
The focus now turns to when the Premier League could return, with debate raging about whether that is even feasible at this point.
With the title, European spots and relegation battle all to be decided, it is fair to say that the repercussions from any potential deal are endless.
Everton are one of those who could end up effected, with the Blues currently firmly in the hunt for a European spot at this stage of the campaign.
Ancelotti, though, isn’t interested in talking about when a return might happen, insisting football simply isn’t a priority.
“Restart? Who knows what will happen. In theory, we should get back to work on March 22nd, but if the general situation worsens, how can we think about resuming work?” he added.
“The needs of football will not count, but the health of the people. If the Coronavirus is still in full explosion, football will not be able to start again.
“How and how much to finish the championship? With extreme sincerity, I am not interested in the matter.
“And it seems to me that the seriousness of the situation has not yet been understood.”
