From Sergio Aguero to N’Golo Kante: 4 footballers who had refused to play during the pandemic

First Published Dec 24, 2020, 5:17 PM IST

The prevailing COVID-19 pandemic has been a bane to the world on all fronts, including sports. While most sports, including football, have resumed, some players had refrained from playing during this phase, due to personal reasons, including health safety.

<p>The year 2020 has been no less than a horror show for most of the global citizens, citing the COVID-19 pandemic that has turned the world upside down on all fronts. The sporting world, too, has been heavily affected, as some of the sports are yet to resume fully.</p>

The year 2020 has been no less than a horror show for most of the global citizens, citing the COVID-19 pandemic that has turned the world upside down on all fronts. The sporting world, too, has been heavily affected, as some of the sports are yet to resume fully.

<p>While football is one of the sports that has resumed full-time, some players are not so keen to resume their duties, citing personal and health reasons. In the same light, we take a look at four of those footballers.</p>

While football is one of the sports that has resumed full-time, some players are not so keen to resume their duties, citing personal and health reasons. In the same light, we take a look at four of those footballers.

<p><strong>Danny Rose: </strong>The English defender, who plays for Tottenham Hotspur, is the first on the list. Although he currently plays on loan with Newcastle United, he feels people’s health is the priority here, not football. “The governments saying bring back football to boost the morale of the nation, I don’t give a f*ck about the nation’s morale. Peoples lives are at risk! Football shouldn’t be spoken about till numbers have dropped massively. It’s bollocks. I’m sad that people are getting sick and being affected. Football should be the last of things that need to be sorted,” he had told on The Spurs Web.</p>

Danny Rose: The English defender, who plays for Tottenham Hotspur, is the first on the list. Although he currently plays on loan with Newcastle United, he feels people’s health is the priority here, not football. “The governments saying bring back football to boost the morale of the nation, I don’t give a f*ck about the nation’s morale. Peoples lives are at risk! Football shouldn’t be spoken about till numbers have dropped massively. It’s bollocks. I’m sad that people are getting sick and being affected. Football should be the last of things that need to be sorted,” he had told on The Spurs Web.

<p><strong>Willian:</strong> The Arsenal winger from Brazil follows the same footsteps among a notable few in the Premier League (EPL). He feels that as long as not playing football means keeping one safe, he does not mind. “We’re really keen to return, we really miss playing and doing what we love. But, it needs to be safe for us to do so. That’s how we’re looking at it. Our health has to come first. So, right now, players don’t feel comfortable with the idea of returning until it’s totally safe to do so,” he told the Evening Standard. Nonetheless, he did resume his duties in the ongoing season.</p>

Willian: The Arsenal winger from Brazil follows the same footsteps among a notable few in the Premier League (EPL). He feels that as long as not playing football means keeping one safe, he does not mind. “We’re really keen to return, we really miss playing and doing what we love. But, it needs to be safe for us to do so. That’s how we’re looking at it. Our health has to come first. So, right now, players don’t feel comfortable with the idea of returning until it’s totally safe to do so,” he told the Evening Standard. Nonetheless, he did resume his duties in the ongoing season.

<p><strong>N’Golo Kanté:</strong> Chelsea and French midfielder, Kante, too, chose no to resume his services with The Blues, as he was not comfortable during the current time. Kante also reasoned that his life is too valuable for his family, having lost his brother in a heart attack, a couple of years ago, while his father had passed away while he was 11 years old. Meanwhile, Chelsea supported his decision not to resume, before he decided to do so in the ongoing season.</p>

N’Golo Kanté: Chelsea and French midfielder, Kante, too, chose no to resume his services with The Blues, as he was not comfortable during the current time. Kante also reasoned that his life is too valuable for his family, having lost his brother in a heart attack, a couple of years ago, while his father had passed away while he was 11 years old. Meanwhile, Chelsea supported his decision not to resume, before he decided to do so in the ongoing season.

<p><strong>Sergio Aguero:</strong> Probably the biggest name on the list, Argentine forward Sergio Aguero, who has been an integral part of Manchester City’s success, too, joins the list. He was initially reluctant to resume, as he had told El Chiringuito TV, “The majority of players are scared because they have family, they have children, they have babies. When we go back, I imagine that we will be very tense, we will be very careful and the moment someone feels ill, you will think: ‘What’s gone on there?’ It does scare me.” Furthermore, his meniscus injury gave him troubles, as it was in October when he finally decided to recommence.</p>

Sergio Aguero: Probably the biggest name on the list, Argentine forward Sergio Aguero, who has been an integral part of Manchester City’s success, too, joins the list. He was initially reluctant to resume, as he had told El Chiringuito TV, “The majority of players are scared because they have family, they have children, they have babies. When we go back, I imagine that we will be very tense, we will be very careful and the moment someone feels ill, you will think: ‘What’s gone on there?’ It does scare me.” Furthermore, his meniscus injury gave him troubles, as it was in October when he finally decided to recommence.