Mauricio Pochettino, who is still out of work following his Tottenham Hotspur exit, has criticised European leaders for failing to act on the outbreak of Coronavirus.
Covid-19 has spread rapidly across Europe over the last month, with the likes of Italy and Spain currently on lockdown to try and contain the virus.
The United Kingdom are also heading in that direction, with schools set to close across the country from tomorrow and other measures likely to follow.
Their response to the virus has been widely criticised, though, with many feeling Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his government did not take the issue seriously until it was too late.
That is undoubtedly what Pochettino feels, criticising Europe’s leaders for managing the situation ‘irresponsibly’, and revealing he’s spoken to players at Tottenham.
“They handled themselves irresponsibly and made late decisions,” he told Radio Del Plata, relayed by TNT Sports.
“I understand that the economic aspect comes into play in football and is a deciding factor much of the time, but seeing everything that is happening, I think that in Europe, they managed irresponsibly and made late decisions.”
Similar to the UK’s general handling of the situation, the Premier League was slow to react to COVID-19, with them postponing the season long after other leagues around the world had done so.
Only when Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta tested positive was there a response, with several clubs going into lockdown as a result.
That has been the standard across the board, with Pochettino’s former club Tottenham one such side to do so.
Indeed, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has admitted the virus is his’ most serious hurdle’ since arriving at the club, evidence of how troublesome the situation has become.
At the moment the focus remains on protecting people’s health, and Pochettino says he has already offered advice to his former Tottenham charges.
“I told them that there is no need to be at risk and that football takes second place to health,” he added.
“It seems good to me that measures have already been taken. It is the best way to try to control the virus until a cure is found.”
