Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has opened up on his close shave with death and his recovery from the dreaded coronavirus which led to the suspension of top-flight football in the United Kingdom.
Arteta was the first high-profile name in English football to contract COVID-19, and the Spaniard immediately began self-isolating.Meanwhile,Arsenal closed down their London Colney base, and players were given individual training regimes for home.
Arteta has now recovered from the disease and has provided a timeline of events from learning he had the disease and opening up on what it was like, to explaining how he informed Arsenal, and finally confirming he is healthy once more.
“I’m very well now, I feel that I have recovered,” Arteta told La Sexta.
“It took me three or four days to start feeling much better and with more energy, to leave the symptoms behind and now, the truth is that I feel very well.”
On the timeline of events from the moment he started to feel unwell, he continued: “Everything happened very fast. On Tuesday afternoon I was feeling so-so and I went to see the doctor but he wasn’t there.
“I got a call from the board of directors after training while I was in my car and they told me that the president of Olympiakos had tested positive and everyone that had been in contact was at risk.
“I went on to tell them that I wasn’t feeling well and that we had a situation because we had lots of players that had been in contact with them [Olympiakos].
“We had a game against Manchester City the next day and obviously we couldn’t put lots of people at risk without saying anything.
“I had the test done last Wednesday and I was diagnosed on Friday, when we had to communicate it to the Premier League that I had tested positive.
“Obviously all those that had been in contact with me had to go into quarantine, and consequently, games had to be suspended.”
Arsenal told their players on Monday to stay at home, insisting it would be “inappropriate” to return to training, despite Arteta’s recovery.
The Gunners had expected players to report back on Tuesday, which coincides with the 14-day quarantine rule following Arteta’s positive test for COVID-19.
But Arsenal are delaying the return until further notice amid the current Government advice on social distancing.
Arsenal’s statement said: “Our men’s first team players were scheduled to return to training on Tuesday after completing 14 days isolation following Mikel Arteta’s positive diagnosis for the virus.
“As a result of the current situation we are clear it would be inappropriate and irresponsible to ask players to come back at this time.
“Therefore our men’s first team, women and academy players are all remaining at home. Stay at home and save lives.”
