PR Week: Premier League clubs urged to show empathy over CV-19
As professional football returns in England, clubs need to provide the right support to players and coaching staff over the risk of contracting coronavirus.
Premier League clubs must show understanding to players who do not wish to take the field due to concerns about the coronavirus pandemic or risk reputational damage, sports communications experts have warned.
England’s top tier football league is due to restart on Wednesday (17 June), with several players publicly expressing concerns about the risk of contracting coronavirus. It was revealed over the weekend that, in the latest round of tests, two players tested positive for the virus.
England internationals Danny Rose and Raheem Sterling have previously expressed fears about the threat of the virus, with Rose previously taking to social media to say he “doesn’t give a fuck” about the nation’s morale if returning meant placing lives at risk.
Watford captain Troy Deeney and several of his teammates delayed their return to training for the same reason. Deeney has since revealed he was the victim of “hurtful comments” for placing his and his family's health above football.
In recent weeks players have appeared more optimistic about returning to play, although two players tested positive to COVID-19 over the weekend, highlighting the need for clubs to proceed with caution.
It is against a backdrop in which players are called out on social media for choosing not to return to work if they perceive any risk of exposure to a disease that disproportionately impacts people from a BAME background and has already killed more than 41,000 people in the UK, according to official health figures.
PRWeek approached four sport communications experts to ask how clubs and the league should handle comms around players that may not feel comfortable returning.
David Alexander, managing director, Calacus
BAME males are said to have a higher risk of contracting Covid-19, so is it any wonder that Troy Deeney chose to stay away from training for a while after Watford recorded three positive tests and he has a son with breathing difficulties?
Likewise, N’Golo Kante’s family have a history of health problems, prompting him to miss official training when the Chelsea players returned.
It may be a cliché to say that these are unprecedented times, but what would any club gain from forcing a player to train or play when it may put a young son or wider family at risk?
It would be a reputational nightmare for clubs to criticise or punish players who put their health concerns ahead of training.
It’s interesting that neither Watford or Chelsea appear to have put out official statements noting the temporary withdrawals of the players, perhaps wishing to avoid attracting extra attention when there has already been plenty of social media trolling and accusations made in some media that highly paid sportsmen should be fined if they do not turn up for work.
Clearly this is a highly sensitive issue and one which needs to be addressed by clubs on a case-by-case basis and it’s a fine line between respecting the privacy of the players and giving them their backing in particularly difficult circumstances.
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