Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta Reportedly Tested Positive for Coronavirus
By Evan Wolff
In amongst the craziness of the coronavirus impact in the United States, there has been an absolute bombshell dropped from the Premier League in England.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta felt some symptoms and went to get himself tested for COVID-19, and on Thursday it was revealed that those tests came back positive. Arteta is the first player or manager in the Premier League confirmed to have contracted the virus, and staff and players who were in close contact with him have been sent home to self-isolation.
Arsenal has announced that manager Mikel Arteta has tested positive for coronavirus.
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 12, 2020
Club personnel who had recent close contact with him will self-isolate. pic.twitter.com/LcLiSSFYuM
This is obviously massive news, as the Premier League was doing everything in its power to try to avoid canceling games, though Arsenal and Manchester City's mid-week bout was called off.
Leagues across Europe, including Italy, Spain, and France have stopped or cancelled leagues to control the outbreak. After the news today, it seems like soccer in England may be the next to temporarily stop operations.
Premier League convening an emergency club meeting tomorrow morning regarding future fixtures after it became aware of Mikel Arteta testing positive for #coronavirus
— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) March 12, 2020
After Olympiacos chairman Evangelos Marinakis, who was in contact with the Arsenal players, revealed he had a diagnosis of coronavirus, the league should have been stopped right then and there. Instead, the Premier League is now forced to do damage control in response to Mikel Arteta's positive test.