Pep Guardiola suggests Premier League should be halted

The City boss believes football "cannot be the exception"

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has suggested the Premier League schedule should be paused as England prepares for a month-long lockdown. At the weekend Boris Johnson outlined details of new measures which come into force this week, but Premier League fixtures will continue to be played behind closed doors. This was not the case in March, when English football was put on hold during the first national lockdown, only returning in June with strict protocols in place. Speaking after his side's victory over Sheffield United, Guardiola, who lost his mother to coronavirus earlier in the year, admitted to being conflicted as to whether football should again fall in line with the rest of the country and come to a temporary halt. "It's difficult," he explained. "I know the Prime Minister is taking the decision because the situation is getting worse. It happened in Spain, Germany, France and everywhere.

"The virus is still there. Maybe people say it is stronger. I think the world of football cannot be an exception in what is happening in society.

"So if we have to play, we will play. But we don't want to be different from the rest of society when they have to close restaurants or close whatever.

"It's a position in which I am not involved," he continued. "I want to be safe. I want to keep well for myself, for my family, my friends, for all England, all of the UK. But honestly I don't know."