Government should have banned Atletico fans from flying – allowing them to do so puts Liverpool as a city at enormous risk

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In a lengthy thread on Twitter, Daily Mirror journalist Dave Maddock has criticised the UK government for not being careful with the very real potential of a coronavirus outbreak in Liverpool.

The Reds are up against Atletico Madrid tonight in the Champions League, and fans of the Spanish giants have been allowed to travel, despite a large outbreak in the Spanish capital.

Manchester City have recently postponed their Premier League fixture against Arsenal, after it was confirmed staff of the Gunners had come in contact with Olympiacos owner Evangelos Marinakis, who has been named as a positive case of COVID-19.

MORE: Doubt thrown on Premier League as Man City fixture postponed due to coronavirus fears

La Liga have ordered clubs to play fixtures behind closed doors for the foreseeable future, following Serie A’s example – the Italian government has since postponed all sporting events across the country.

Given the severity of the coronavirus, it’s wise for authorities to take these precautions, but even though Atletico fans are banned from attending games in Spain, they’ve been allowed to travel to Anfield in Liverpool.

These people enter the country without any testing for the virus and will mingle with the city’s population for a few days before travelling back home – a clear medical gamble.

Liverpool FC are concerned about this, but with no clear advice from the government as per Maddock, the club can do nothing to prevent the free movement of fans.

You can read Dave’s full rant on Twitter below:

It feels like the right time to say the coronavirus outbreak is obviously a serious issue, and sporting events are of little importance, when compared to people’s health, so please make sure you’ve got all the information you need.

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