Premier League clubs unanimously decide team must have four COVID cases to request game postponement, but Simon Jordan insists ‘it’s not a rule change’ and warns against holes in the rules

Premier League clubs have unanimously decided that a team must have a minimum of four positive COVID cases before requesting a match postponement.

A statement read: “Following a club meeting today (January 26), the Premier League’s COVID-19 match postponement guidelines have been updated to include a COVID-19 impact threshold.

“Now, if a club requests the postponement of a match due to an insufficient number of players due to COVID-19, they must have at least four positive cases within their squad. These guidelines will come into effect before the next Premier League game on Saturday February 5 (Burnley FC v Watford FC).

“Throughout the pandemic, the Premier League has adapted its guidance in response to the wider public health situation. The guidelines were last updated in December in response to the emergence of the Omicron variant.

Many high-flying matches have been postponed in recent months as the Omicron variant spread across the country, however, there have been suggestions that some of these matches could have taken place.

Arsenal received a barrage of criticism after their North London derby clash against Tottenham, originally scheduled for January 16, was postponed despite there being only one case of COVID in the club. Gunners team.

And the announcement was welcomed by talkSPORT’s Trevor Sinclair, who said: “It makes sense, of course it does.

“I think the clubs were manipulating the system and if that continues, which it probably won’t because Omicron seems to have gotten away with the vaccine, it looks like we’re going to keep playing football.

“But at least clubs won’t try to keep manipulating the system until they get players back wherever they are.

“I think it was necessary because the way some clubs had the ability to postpone games…fans had already gone to games and it was out of order.”

But Simon Jordan is far from convinced. The former owner of Crystal Palace argued that this was not a rule change and believes they are still open to exploitation.

He said, “I’m just laughing at the framing of the clarification. A rule change is a complete departure. It is a reaffirmation and confirmation in the minds of people to ensure that a game can even be played or canceled.

“It’s not a rule change, it’s a clarification.”

Jordan added: “If they have 25 players but have four COVID cases, they don’t have to play by that logic! Clarity is what they gave us.