Daily Mirror - 04.03.2020

(^44) DAILY MIRROR WEDNESDAY 04.03.2020
DM1ST
chance
for revenge
NATIONS LEAGUE drAw
coronavirus
ANGRY Damiani hit out at
how his riders were treated
By Neil McleMAN
A CyCLING director has
threatened to go on hunger
strike after his Cofidis team
were quarantined and
“treated like plague victims”
in Abu Dhabi.
The final two stages of the
UAE Tour were cancelled last
Thursday after two
suspected coronavirus cases
among team mechanics.
All riders, including Brits
Chris Froome and Adam
yates, were isolated before
all returning negative tests.
But while most were
allowed to leave, French
teams Cofidis and
Groupama-FDJ, the UAE
team and Russian Gazprom
team stay under lockdown
as other guests on their
hotel floor were reported to
have tested positive.
Cofidis’ Italian sports
director Roberto Damiani
said his team are detained
on the fourth floor, despite
showing no symptoms.
In a statement, Damiani
said: “I think we are already
past the point of decency,
even if it is in the name of
public safety. The rooms
have never been cleaned
and there are heaps of
rubbish in the corridor.
“If in the next hours the
situation is not unblocked, I
will start a hunger strike to
defend the cyclists and
directors of the team.”
Cofidis team president
Thierry Vittu added: “We’re
being held against our will.
“When we meet someone
in the corridor from the
hotel, he runs away. We are
treated like plague victims.”
However, Bahrain is set to
waive a 14-day quarantine
for Formula One personnel
from virus-hit countries,
including Italy, to let the
Grand Prix go ahead on
March 22. F1 is working on a
similar deal for April 5’s
Vietnamese Grand Prix.
Fans must prove they are
not from virus-affected
areas for tonight’s Coppa
Italia semi-final between
Juventus and AC Milan.
The second leg of
Valencia’s Champions
League last-16 tie with
Atalanta on March 10 will be
played in an empty stadium,
as will the second leg of
Getafe’s Europa League
clash with Inter Milan.
‘i’ll hunger
strike over
lockdown’
The draw also pits England
against Denmark and
Belgium, FIFA’s No.1 ranked
side. Belgium boss Roberto
Martinez (above right, with
Southgate,) said: “It’s a great
group. The teams know
each other very well.
“Going to Wembley is
always a very special
occasion for all the fans, for
us as a team, and we’ve
improved since we played
in the World Cup.”
Southgate made it very
clear he is backing Everton
keeper Jordan Pickford to be
his No.1, despite watching
him make another high-
profile error at Goodison
Park on Sunday against
Manchester United.
He added: “Jordan’s
performances for us,
throughout, have
been outstanding.
He has been a key
part of some big,
big results.
“He is a very
r e s i l i e n t
character, so I
expect him to
bounce back.
The weekend
goal is one he
would want to
do better with,
but then he
made outstand-
ing saves.
“That is the life
of a goalkeeper.”
Southgate handed big
chance to erase memory
of Euro 2016 humiliation
GARETH SOUTHGATE
has been given the
chance to lay the ghosts
to rest of England’s Euro
2016 nightmare.
The Three Lions were
drawn against Iceland in
their Nations League group,
the first time England have
faced them since that
humiliating 2 -1 defeat in
Nice four years ago.
Manager Southgate said:
“We’ve been trying to take
steps towards doing that
(laying ghosts) with our
general performances since
then anyway.
“Now there’s a game that
is a different sort of test. I’ve
just seen Gudni Bergsson
(Iceland FA president) and
they’re looking forward to it.
“Iceland have had a
difficult 12 months in terms
of where their team are at.
But it’s a game we’ve obvi-
ously got to be extremely
well prepared for because
we know the risk involved.”
Iceland boss Erik Hamren
said: “I can see you want a
better result this time! I was
not the coach, but saw the
game, and it was a fantastic
moment for a small country
like Iceland.
“You can imagine what it
felt like to beat England.”
play-offs through normal
qualifying, will go into the
12-team World Cup play-offs in
March 2022.
The first group games take
place in September this year,
with the finals scheduled for
the summer.
competing to qualify for the
Euro 2020 play-offs, there will
be only two World Cup play-off
spots on offer to the 55
countries this time.
The best two Nations League
group winners who do not
qualify for the World Cup or
THE teams who win each group
in the top division – as England
did last time – will go into the
finals tournament in June 2021.
Nations who finish bottom
will be relegated to League B.
Unlike the previous
campaign, when everybody was
FROM JOHN cROSS
Chief Football Writer
in Amsterdam
@johncrossmirror

Ice

England’s Jack

Wilshere and Kyle

Walker after the

shock defeat by

Iceland

the big

freeze

faces a race to be fit for the

summer having been

sidelined since January with a

double stress fracture in his

back.

But Southgate will not take

any chances, and even left the

door open for an SOS call to

Jamie Vardy who quit

international football in 2018.

The England boss said:

“They have to get back

playing club football. Their

clubs have important

matches. Then we are hoping

both come through with no

issues ahead of the summer.”

Spurs striker Kane is

confident of playing again

by next month while

Manchester United say

Rashford will be fit for the

run-in.

Southgate is likely to pick

Everton hitman Dominic

Calvert-Lewin (above) for this

month’s friendlies with

Denmark and Italy.

Get match

fit warning

FROM JOHN cROSS

IT’S the same old story for

Wales boss Ryan Giggs –

another chance to meet the

Republic of Ireland.

The nations have met in

three of their last four

campaigns, including the

previous Nations League.

Wales will also face Finland

and Bulgaria – and Giggs

(above) said: “The Republic

are a team you must respect.

“We had two very different

games against them last time,

fantastic quality and brilliant

goals at home. The away

game, we didn’t play well but

dug out a result with a bit of

magic from Harry Wilson.”

Scotland will play Czech

Republic, Slovakia and Euro

2020 play-off opponents

Israel. Northern Ireland were

grouped with Austria, Norway

and Romania.

Giggs wary

of this sos

fROm bAcK pAGE

NA tiONS leAGue: HOw it wORkS