Premier League

The club said in a statement released on Thursday that its London Colney training centre has been closed as a result of the diagnosis.

Arsenal confirmed staff and players who had "recent close contact" with Arteta would go into self-isolation, which includes the entirety of the first team.

"Arsenal personnel who had recent close contact with Mikel will now self-isolate in line with Government health guidelines," a statement from the Gunners read.

"We expect this to be a significant number of people from Colney, including the full first-team squad and coaching staff, as well as a smaller number of people from our Hale End Academy which we have also temporarily closed as a precaution.

"We expect those who did not have close contact with Mikel to return to work in the coming days. In the meantime our Colney and Hale End training centres will undergo a deep clean and our other club sites are operating as normal."

Arteta said: "This is really disappointing but I took the test after feeling poorly. I will be at work as soon as I'm allowed."

Arsenal's announcement came shortly after the Premier League confirmed this weekend's fixtures including the Gunners' trip to Brighton and Hove Albion will go ahead as planned.

But following Arteta's positive test it seems likely Arsenal's schedule will face further disruption after Wednesday's game against Manchester City was called off.

That match was suspended after news broke that Olympiacos owner Evangelos Marinakis had contracted coronavirus.

Olympiacos knocked Arsenal out of the Europa League earlier this month and Marinakis was in attendance for the second leg at Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal indicated they expect further fixture postponements amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"It is clear we will not be able to play some fixtures on their currently scheduled dates," the club said.

The Premier League announcement that games would continue came after British prime minister Boris Johnson indicated the government was considering postponing sporting events.

However, in response to the news that Arteta had contracted COVID-19, the Premier League said an emergency club meeting will be held on Friday.

Arsenal's managing director Vinai Venkatesham said: "The health of our people and the wider public is our priority and that is where our focus is. Our thoughts are with Mikel who is disappointed but in good spirits.

"We are in active dialogue with all the relevant people to manage this situation appropriately, and we look forward to getting back to training and playing as soon as medical advice allows."

The club's head of football Raul Sanllehi added: "Mikel and the full first-team squad, players and staff, will be fully supported, and we look forward to getting back to training and playing as soon as medical advice allows.

"Obviously Mikel's full recovery is the priority now for us all."

The London club confirmed on Thursday that Arteta had contracted the virus, forcing them to close their London Colney training base.

Premier League chiefs held an emergency meeting on Friday in the wake of the news and decided to suspend all games until April 3 at the earliest.

Arteta took to Twitter on Friday to provide a positive update on his condition and called for unity to tackle the "unprecedented" COVID-19 pandemic.

"Thanks for your words and support," he said. "Feeling better already. We're all facing a huge & unprecedented challenge. Everyone's health is all that matters right now.

"Protect each other by following the guidelines & we'll come through this together. Well done PL for making the right decisions."

All games in Serie A, Bundesliga, LaLiga and Ligue 1 have also been called off as the spread of coronavirus continues to wreak havoc on the sporting calendar.

The Gunners were forced to close their London Colney and Hale End bases for deep cleaning last week after confirming Arteta had contracted COVID-19.

However, the Spaniard is on the mend and is in regular contact with his playing squad and staff members, a number of who are continuing to self-isolate.

The Premier League announced on Thursday that the competition will not resume until April 30 at the earliest, but Arsenal are now gearing up for the resumption of training.

Providing an update on their official website, Arsenal said: "You can imagine that as this fast-moving situation has developed, we have been taking extensive steps to ensure we keep operating efficiently while protecting our players and staff. 

"Our training centres in London Colney and Hale End were closed for deep cleaning after Mikel's diagnosis with the virus but have now re-opened with a small workforce to maintain the facilities and training pitches.   
 
"A number of staff, including Mikel and the men's first-team squad, are currently isolating at home. We're pleased to say that Mikel is feeling much better. He's in good spirits, doing detailed planning with the coaches and speaking to the players regularly.

"The women's and academy teams are also currently staying at home. All our players are looking forward to getting back out on the training pitches as soon as the situation allows. 
 
"The players have been given specific training and dietary regimes to follow at home and are in daily contact with our coaches and support staff. As you will have seen from social media some of them are certainly embracing this changed new world."

It was originally decided the professional game in England would be suspended until April 3, with that date now extended until at least the end of next month.

Arsenal have given their full backing for that decision, adding: "You will have seen Thursday's announcement that the 2019-20 season will be extended indefinitely, and that the professional game is further postponed in England until at least April 30, 2020.

"We are fully supportive of this decision which was endorsed at Thursday morning's Premier League shareholder meeting. Of course, we all want to be back playing football as soon as we possibly can, but only when it is safe to be doing so."

Arteta is "completely fine" after battling COVID-19, which has killed more than 24,000 people around the world and brought sport to a standstill.

The 38-year-old, who tested positive on March 12, said he was concerned about infecting those around him, including his players.

"I am feeling completely recovered [now], it's true I started having some symptoms when we got the phone call from the club to let us know that we might be exposed to the virus because of the owner of Olympiacos and in that moment… I don't know, I felt something within me, that I had it," Arteta told Arsenal Player.

"We had a game the following day against Manchester City, so I made a decision and called the doctor straight away and I asked him to drive home.

"I spoke with Raul [Sanllehi], Edu, Vinai [Venkatesham], Huss [Fahmy] and we set up a meeting together and I said, 'Listen, we have a couple of players that have been exposed. There is a massive risk there and as well I am the first one feeling the symptoms, very clear symptoms. So if that is the case, all of the players and the people related to the club who are in contact with me on a daily basis are exposed. So we cannot make that decision, we have to speak to the Premier League, to Manchester City and we have to make the decision pretty quickly.'

"Then you realise, 'Wow, everybody can be exposed here, this is very serious' and you start to think about the people that you've been in contact with and the other people that can be related to us. That's when a bit of fear comes."

Arteta said there was nothing unusual about how he felt while dealing with coronavirus.

"In terms of symptoms, it was a normal virus for me. I had three or four days which were a little bit difficult, with a bit of a temperature and a dry cough, and some discomfort in my chest. That was it," he said.

"The difficulty is that I have people at home, three kids as well and I was worried. My missus has been through it and my nanny's been through it. Thank God, the kids never got it. We are all completely fine now."

With the Premier League suspended due to coronavirus, Arsenal are ninth in the table, eight points adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea.

The Premier League has been on hiatus for over a month due to social distancing measures implemented by the United Kingdom government in an attempt to combat the spread of COVID-19, so clubs are having to operate without gate receipts and other matchday revenues.

While many companies have utilised the government's furlough scheme, leaving the state to cover 80 per cent of workers' wages up to £2,500 per month, football clubs that took up that option have been widely criticised, with Tottenham, Liverpool and Bournemouth all reversing their decisions.

Although Norwich City and Newcastle United continue to take advantage of that job retention scheme for some employees, Villa have ensured all non-football staff will be paid in full thanks to the deferrals and continued "substantial funding" from majority shareholders Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens.

Villa chief executive Christian Purslow read: "I am pleased to announce today [Saturday] measures to protect the livelihoods of our precious staff and their families.

"First-team players, first-team coaches and senior management have all agreed to defer 25 per cent of their salaries for four months to assist the club during this period of uncertainty, with a further review taking place at the end of this period.

"During the two seasons since Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens rescued Aston Villa, they have supported and funded the rebuilding of the club with a huge level of personal financial investment.

"They are continuing to provide substantial funding which, combined with these significant salary deferrals, enables Aston Villa to confirm that all non-football staff - full and part time - will be retained and paid in full throughout the lockdown. There will be no furloughing of staff.

"Our players and staff feel great solidarity with the many clubs in the football pyramid who have financial problems and we believe it is right and proper that the Premier League as a whole takes action on its finances collectively to enable it to be able to continue to provide vital funding throughout the game in England."

COVID-19 has brought sport to a standstill across the globe, with the 2020 Olympic Games, major European football leagues, the NBA, MLB and NHL postponed.

Euro 2020 and Copa America 2020 have been pushed back to next year amid the fight to combat the spread of the virus, which has claimed more than 21,290 lives.

It remains to be seen when and if the 2019-20 Premier League, LaLiga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1 seasons will resume, raising doubts over the futures of football players – whose contracts are due to expire in June.

The likes of Edinson Cavani and Thiago Silva (both Paris Saint-Germain), Willian (Chelsea) and Dries Mertens (Napoli) are all set to become free agents.

As clubs and organisations try to reduce costs amid the economic crisis, Schwab – who works for World Players, which brings together 85,000 players across professional sports through more than 100 player associations in over 60 countries – told Stats Perform: "The challenge is to ensure enough liquidity during the shutdown so that the same content can be delivered to fans, broadcasters and brands but over a longer period.

"Existing contracts and regulations such as contract expiry dates and transfer windows will all need to be reformulated which can only be done though collective decision-making involving governments, sports bodies, broadcasters, stadia operators, player unions and civil society. The impact on the sporting schedule will be long-lasting and may take several years to return to normal.

"Seasons just starting – such as MLB, AFL and NRL – have a longer struggle in many ways. Shortened seasons are likely, but it all depends on the length of the shutdown, liquidity and the window available to complete seasons. Sports which own their own infrastructure will have greater flexibility and will be in a stronger position to design solutions.

"The key is collective decision-making, goodwill and long-term thinking, all of which can be difficult during such uncertainty. Many key sports governing, commercial and player contracts have 'force majeure' clauses which may apply in these circumstances. Certain parties may be able to 'cut and run', but that will only worsen the bleeding and make recovery more difficult. We need to bunker down, show we care about our people, fight the pandemic, exercise restraint, save as many jobs and legitimate commercial interests as we can, and re-emerge with a renewed, sustainable and collectively developed economic model.

"Tuesday was the anniversary of the death of arguably football’s most influential figure, Johan Cruyff. He famously said that there is advantage in every disadvantage. That thinking is needed right now."

Schwab added: "Individual players will be impacted differently. The destiny of free agents will depend much on the state of the leagues once the shutdown has been lifted. There is a risk that players coming off contract will face a prolonged period of unemployment if the shutdown continues, which can be career ending.

"The top players should be OK during this period, but remember they are a fraction of players and athletes who work professionally. It is likely that the economic impact of the shutdown will result in a deflated labour market for some time, which will suppress wages even among the viable leagues. For leagues outside the very top echelon, it may be a battle for survival.

"However, sport's essential role in society will be unchanged and may even be renewed and elevated. It will have a critical role to play as the community reunites after the pandemic and we expect a major resurgence in demand. Sport is therefore an important part of government planning, and it is pleasing to see that progressive governments in Switzerland, Sweden and some other countries have included sport in the stimulus packages they are announcing. They will reap a community dividend for doing so even as they balance the essential interests of the broader society and economy."

"[Next year] an intense year for sport as current seasons will now run well into the northern summer and that will require a readjusted schedule in 2021," the Australian executive continued. "The postponement of the Olympics may allow for existing concerns to be addressed including the health and safety impacts of the extreme heat of July-August in Tokyo. These issues all need to be worked through. We shouldn't assume the Olympics are simply put back 12 months. We are consulting with our affiliates about how to approach the shaping of the 2021 sports calendar."

Coronavirus has largely affected the elderly and people with pre-existing conditions, but Schwab said: "We have been concerned with some of the heath information being conveyed, including that COVID-19 is a disease that mainly affects the elderly and the vulnerable. Athletes, too, are vulnerable, despite being young and fit. The disease attacks the lungs, and athletes themselves have suffered very severe symptoms which may be long-lasting. There have been fatalities among people between 20 and 44 and young people can transmit the virus even if they don't have symptoms.

"Players have also been forced into quarantine when living away from their families. It is necessary that effective support mechanisms are in place to ensure the mental health and social wellbeing of players as well as their physical health. Our player unions play an essential role here."

Competitions including the Premier League, the NBA and Formula One were off as sport attempts to combat the spread of the virus.

There have been over 160,000 confirmed cases and more than 6,000 deaths worldwide.

Without work to keep them busy, athletes were finding other ways to entertain themselves - and often posting evidence online.

Tyson Fury would not have been in boxing action this weekend, as it is just weeks since his stunning world heavyweight title defeat of Deontay Wilder, but he was still impacted by coronavirus.

The Briton had been set to run the Liverpool Half Marathon but was advised not to, amid the crisis.

That did little to stop Fury, though, who continued with the run at home instead, dressed as Batman with strength and conditioning coach Kristian Blacklock as his sidekick Robin.

In the United States, Giannis Antetokounmpo has been vocal in bemoaning his boredom while the NBA is paused, but the world received evidence of how he has been using his time.

The Greek Freak's girlfriend uploaded a video of the reigning MVP playing Deep Purple's Smoke on the Water on guitar, and the Milwaukee Bucks ace replied: "If anyone wants a guitarist for their group, I'm free. Inbox me for booking."

Elsewhere, Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain stayed active this weekend.

His popstar girlfriend Perrie Edwards - a member of Little Mix - posted a video of the pair dancing at home with the caption: "Precautionary self isolation can be fun!"

Football's most famous popstar WAG had also featured in a social media post on Saturday.

David Beckham had been anticipating Inter Miami's first home match against his former club LA Galaxy before the 2020 MLS season was suspended.

Beckham instead took his family to see his expansion club's stadium, though, and wife Victoria was enjoying herself as the tannoy blasted out Spice Girls songs.

Robert Lewandowski and Gabriel Jesus shared clips of their workouts, but Dries Mertens' was a little different.

The Napoli star was filmed lifting a giant wine bottle in his exercises, posting the video with the caption: "My greatest advice in life, 'A little bit of wine is the solution to a lot of problems'."

And Barcelona B midfielder Riqui Puig joined a campaign to keep people in their homes in Spain, skilfully juggling toilet roll in an apparent reference to the stockpiling prompted by the virus.

The former Germany striker warned time is up for the era that has seen top-flight footballers in Europe's top leagues securing huge contracts as a matter of course.

Since the coronavirus pandemic forced football to be widely suspended in March, clubs and leagues have warned of the impact of inactivity.

And even though many leagues are slowly restarting, behind-closed-doors games mean matchday revenue has been lost.

Bierhoff spoke of a "mass of mediocrity" within the leagues, and said such average footballers would have to accept they are not entitled to spectacular salaries.

"It has come to the time when many are ready to at least discuss it – even those who were not before the crisis," he told t-online.de. "Especially from the biggest clubs in Spain, England and France."

Bierhoff, now a director of the German Football Federation (DFB) said he would support salary limits that were "legally feasible and if we think about it together across Europe".

Football authorities are battling to protect the vital revenue stream of broadcasting deals, which have been the lifeblood of the game, allowing teams to finance an abundance of seven-figure salaries.

Bierhoff said: "I don't think that the top earners for fans are the problem – as paradoxical as it sounds. [Lionel] Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo or Jo[shua] Kimmich aren't the problem. The problem is the mass of mediocrity that swims in their wake and and are, in quote marks, 'overpaid'."

He added: "An average Bundesliga professional will have to expect that he will soon be offered less by his club."

Cherries manager Howe has been joined by assistant Jason Tindall, technical director Richard Hughes and chief executive Neill Blake in accepting a reduced salary.

The pay cuts for the senior quartet were taken voluntarily, Bournemouth said.

The club announced a number of staff have been placed on furlough - the UK Government scheme that will pay employees 80 per cent of wages, up to £2,500 per month.

Bournemouth said they would top up salaries to ensure those furloughed receive their usual full pay.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Bournemouth announced: "These measures have been taken to safeguard the financial stability of the club during what is such an uncertain period, not only in football but for businesses in all industries across the world."

Those on furlough come from roles that "have been affected by the closure of Vitality Stadium and the club's other sites", Bournemouth said, explaining they would be on leave from the club for a minimum of three weeks.

The club said: "We are also offering training schemes to allow furloughed staff to continue their development while on leave, and we look forward to welcoming these employees back to their roles as soon it is possible for the club to fully function again.

"In this time of great uncertainty, our thoughts are with those who are affected by this virus and those who are caring for them."

The Premier League announced on Saturday there were two positive results from different clubs during the second round of COVID-19 testing that included 996 players and staff.

Medical confidentiality means the identity of the individual, who will now self-isolate for a seven-day period, will not be disclosed by Bournemouth. 

The club also stated that, in line with the regulations put in place by the Premier League, the training ground remains a "safe working environment".

"Bournemouth can confirm that one of its players has tested positive for Covid-19, following the club’s second round of testing," a statement from Bournemouth read.

"Medical confidentiality means the player’s name will not be disclosed, and the club asks for this to be respected.

"In line with Premier League protocols regarding positive tests, he will self-isolate for a period of seven days before being tested again at a later date.

"Following strict adherence of the Premier League’s return to training regulations, the club’s training ground remains a safe working environment for players and backroom staff, who will continue to be tested for Covid-19 twice per week."

There were six positive outcomes in the first round of tests carried out on May 17 and 18. Burnley assistant Ian Woan and Watford defender Adrian Mariappa were confirmed to be among the half-dozen.

The Premier League has been suspended since March due to the coronavirus pandemic, though the target is for games to resume in mid-June.

Teams have returned to training in small groups, though no contact is permitted due to social distancing. However, some players have declined to participate due to health concerns.

Now in League Two, Bradford said they had suspended 2020-21 season-ticket sales after being told of an "ever-growing possibility" of having to play behind-closed-doors games until next year.

Bradford, who were last in the English top flight in 2001, said it was "highly likely" next season would at least begin with games played without fans due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The West Yorkshire club's decision followed their involvement in a conference call with the English Football League (EFL) on Thursday.

Bradford said in a statement: "'City For All' 2020-21 season-ticket sales have today been suspended.

"The decision has been taken as the club continues to await further information regarding a conclusion to the current campaign, with the start date for next season yet to be confirmed.

"This comes following a meeting yesterday held between the EFL and the Bantams' League Two colleagues.

"City officials have recently been informed of the ever-growing possibility of supporters being unable to attend matches until 2021.

"And it is now highly likely that next season will commence behind closed doors."

The 2019-20 season stalled in March with the arrival and spread in England of COVID-19, and reports have claimed the EFL campaign could be abandoned because of the amount of testing that would need to be conducted just to allow closed-doors games to be played.

It remains to be seen whether the Premier League and EFL have joined-up thinking on matters such as playing games without supporters next season.

Although the Premier League has huge broadcast deals, which it is eager to preserve, clubs lower down the pyramid are facing a harsh reality of losing vital matchday income, amid fears many could be forced out of business.

Brady was criticised earlier this month for suggesting in a newspaper column that the top-flight campaign in England should be declared null and void due to the impact of the coronavirus outbreak.

She was accused of putting her own club's interests first, with the Hammers only outside the Premier League relegation zone by virtue of goal difference.

Her suggestion riled Liverpool supporters in particular, given the expectation they will claim their first league title in 30 years should the season be completed.

She defended her initial comments, saying she was merely thinking of players and fans amid the coronavirus pandemic, but has now said the Premier League plan to “get going as soon as possible” still stands.

"It is a paradox that at a time football would be a great comfort to millions, it must not be played because, rightly, people's health is our priority," Brady wrote in The Sun.

"What is going on in our country and the world is unprecedented and the game is not a necessity – like food or healthcare.

"But to millions upon millions of us, football's disappearance from life is very relevant indeed. So, we all want it back in a hurry.

"There's the Premier League to be decided although, obviously, not the title – which is all but owned by Liverpool.

"But neither the Premier League nor the EFL have finished this season's games. Plus, there is the FA Cup, continental leagues, European competitions, European Championship and almost everything in between.

"The next Premier League meeting is on Friday and the main topic of conversation will be when games can restart. When we - all Premier League clubs - last spoke, we agreed to get going again as soon as possible. And that games will run into July, if req­uired, to get this campaign finished.

"This is the plan. This is what we want to deliver."

Brady also revealed eight West Ham players went into self-isolation after showing mild symptoms of the virus.

"Players are currently not in training and housebound to comply with social distancing rules currently in place until April 13, when we expect training to restart," she added.

"And following further Government guidelines, we have eight West Ham players in isolation. Although I am relieved to say they are all showing mild symptoms and, along with their families, seem to be well."

The top four tiers of English football have been suspended until April 3 at the earliest, with delays to the season expected to continue beyond that, and Brady said time constraints made completing the season an unrealistic prospect.

Writing in The Sun, Brady described the challenges clubs face in keeping players fit and healthy while the virus continues to spread around the world.

She said: "The issue is that medical advice is that for every day a player is in isolation he needs a day to recover his fitness.

"This on top of the issue that COVID-19 is so highly contagious the thought that everyone will be in and out of isolation and fit to play on April 4 seems so unlikely.

"So what if the league cannot be finished? As games in both the PL and in the EFL are affected, the only fair and reasonable thing to do is declare the whole season null and void."

Brady's comments come with West Ham languishing in 16th place in the Premier League table, level on points with Watford in 17th and Bournemouth in 18th.

She admitted wiping this season from the record would infuriate the likes of Liverpool, who are poised to win their first league title since 1989-90, but said people's safety must be put first.

"Who knows who would have gone down or come up if the games have not actually been played in full?" she said.

"A huge blow to Liverpool who might be robbed of their first title in 30 years.

"This will be discussed between the PL and the clubs next week at an emergency meeting.

"There are, of course, financial implications, wages and transfer debts must be paid and there is lost broadcast revenue, lost matchday income but this pales into insignificance as the health and well-being of everyone must come first."

The West Ham vice-chairman was accused of putting her own club's interests first in her initial comments, made in a newspaper column, with the Hammers only outside the Premier League relegation zone by virtue of goal difference.

Her suggestion riled Liverpool supporters in particular, given the expectation they will claim their first league title in 30 years should the season be completed, and former Reds defender Jamie Carragher was among those to express disdain for her suggestion.

But Brady defended herself on Twitter on Sunday, saying: "Everyone agrees that LFC deserve to win the title.

"The Premier League and EFL are doing all we can to ensure the season is finished. Including suspending games, isolating players, and if required playing games behind closed doors and into the summer months.

"My point was safety of fans, players, staff come first and if the remaining games just cannot be played the only fair and reasonable thing is to declare [the] season null and void."

Matches in the Premier League and EFL have been suspended until April 3 at the earliest, with most top-tier clubs facing nine remaining fixtures.

Brady indicated that she feels awarding Liverpool the title, or indeed relegating the clubs currently in the bottom three, would be unjust if the remaining fixtures cannot be fulfilled.

She added: "Who knows who would have gone down or come up if the PL/EFL games have not actually been played in full?"

The West Ham vice-chairman says she "fundamentally" believes footballers should have the choice as to whether they make themselves available whenever the 2019-20 season resumes.

But Brady sees the matter, along with the issue of playing at neutral grounds and the possibility of infections breaking out in the league, among the complications in getting top-flight football moving again.

"Our club is moving quickly and our players have already undergone cardiac screening and blood tests," Brady wrote in The Sun.

"The bottom line is our players have three main points yet to be fully resolved. They are: Will I be forced to training? Will I be forced to play? And what happens if someone tests positive once we are playing?

"Players want it to be their choice whether they turn out or not, letting them decide should they have personal issues, such as living at home with a vulnerable adult or young children.

"Fundamentally, I agree with this position. But in the event of a relegation battle some clubs might not be able to have the luxury of giving a choice to their players.

"How would any club feel if an absence of one or two top men was an element in relegation?

"It might not seem fair to play without them, but neither would it be fair to force players to play if they have genuine concerns about doing so. What is reasonable to one club may end up unfair to another."

Brady detailed a range of measures West Ham are taking to protect players on their return to the training pitch.

With car-sharing and tackling initially banned, the emphasis is on cutting out contact, and Brady said West Ham would disinfect equipment such as corner flags and goals.

"And even the grass," Brady wrote, "although how remains a mystery as that usually kills it."

West Ham sit 16th in the 20-team Premier League, outside the relegation zone on goal difference with nine games remaining.

Reports have suggested one option being considered by the Premier League, should the competition be allowed to resume amid the coronavirus crisis, is to hold all matches behind closed doors at neutral venues.

The Amex is rumoured to be one of the grounds under consideration, yet Barber has suggested the reports are, as it stands, wide of the mark.

"We haven't been asked if we would consider our stadium being used as a neutral venue for any remaining Premier League matches – by our colleagues at the league, the government or the police – and at this point we haven't been approached to have such a discussion either so I am unable to say why our stadium has been included in the reports," Barber wrote in a statement on the club's official website.

"Some newspapers reported that the use of a small number of neutral venues may be the only way to complete the Premier League season to ensure social distancing policies are maintained, and Albion was named as one of a number of clubs against such a move."

Barber also added that Brighton – who were battling relegation prior to the suspension of the season – would not be satisfied with switching matches to neutral stadiums.

"We do of course understand that in the very difficult circumstances we are facing that every option must be considered – but that should only be when safe to do so for all concerned and, if and when we reach that point, we are not in favour of playing our remaining matches at neutral venues," he wrote.

"Clearly, we must all be prepared to accept some compromises, and we fully appreciate why playing behind closed doors is very likely to be a necessary compromise to play our remaining games while continuing to fully support the government's efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus.

"But at this critical point in the season playing matches in neutral venues has, in our view, potential to have a material effect on the integrity of the competition.

"Five of our nine remaining matches due to be played at the Amex – all five matches are very difficult but four are against some of the biggest clubs in European football."

Brighton were set to welcome Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City to the Amex in their next four home matches.

Arsenal announced on Thursday that Arteta had the virus shortly after the Premier League had confirmed all weekend fixtures were set to go ahead as planned.

After the Arteta news broke, the Premier League then said an emergency club meeting would be held on Friday, with a suspension of matches expected as a result.

However, Brighton have already moved to confirm Saturday's home game against the Gunners will not be going ahead as Arsenal's first-team squad are going into self-isolation.

Chief executive Paul Barber said: "First and foremost our thoughts are with Mikel Arteta and we wish him a speedy recovery.

"It's absolutely essential the health and wellbeing of individuals takes priority and with that in mind Saturday’s match has been postponed.

"We apologise to all fans for any inconvenience but trust everyone will understand that we are all facing an unprecedented situation.

"The Premier League has announced this evening that they will convene an emergency meeting of all clubs tomorrow morning [Friday], and we will update supporters on future fixtures as and when we are in a position to do so."

Arteta is the highest-profile football figure to be diagnosed with the virus. Juventus defender Daniele Rugani has also tested positive for coronavirus.

Brendan Rodgers said three Leicester City players are in self-isolation after showing symptoms and Manchester City have confirmed a first-team player is self-isolating due to a family member having fallen ill. City's game against Arsenal on Wednesday was postponed amid the crisis.

Arsenal were knocked out of the Europa League last month by Olympiacos, whose owner Evangelos Marinakis later tested positive for the virus after attending the game at Emirates Stadium.

Top-flight fixtures in Italy and Spain have already been suspended while FIFA has announced this month's South American qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup have been postponed.

The home of the Premier League club is one of 32 testing sites opened in the United Kingdom and the biggest on the south coast.

Swab tests can be taken by appointment only for critical key workers, starting with frontline NHS staff.

Seagulls chief executive Paul Barber said: "It has been amazing to see the Department of Health and Social Care, who are overseeing the set-up of these vital test centres, working alongside the army, club staff, AAA security and the team from our stadium and the club's catering partners Sodexo, whose staff are helping to run the site.

"It is hugely impressive, and a great triumph of both teamwork and hard work. The Amex will be the biggest testing site anywhere on the south coast, and will be used for self-testing and assisted testing.

"The members of our club and Sodexo staff who will be on site day to day have all been trained; and the level of attention to detail is phenomenal. And, having visited the site today, the team spirit was truly humbling."

The Premier League season has been suspended indefinitely amid the COVID-19 crisis.

The top tier in Germany became the first of Europe's major leagues to return to action last weekend following the suspensions forced across the continent by the coronavirus pandemic.

With Ligue 1 cancelled and Serie A, LaLiga and the Premier League still yet to start again despite hopes of doing so, all eyes were on the behind-closed-doors games in Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga.

Other competitions have been criticised for wishing to restart when lockdown measures are still so prevalent for many other industries, but Seifert explained that not resuming the Bundesliga would have been dangerous for clubs' livelihoods.

"I'm responsible for 36 small and large companies that had their activity interrupted and needed to restart," he told Marca.

"To have no income for two months is dangerous. A lot of those companies are 100 years old, so I had to guarantee their survival.

"We haven't risked the health of the general public or stolen tests from anyone. If we could start the league on our own resources and without asking the state for money, then why not do it?

"On top of that, Germany loves football. Eighty million people had the virus in their heads, so we helped to forget it a little bit. We just want to be treated like any other industry."

Seifert confirmed that other leagues were taking note of the measures used in Germany with a view to potentially replicating them in their countries.

"We've received a lot of compliments from around the world and a lot of leagues are interested in our protocol and organisation, so that is a great honour," he added.

"The sooner sport returns, the better it is for society."

Borussia Dortmund's clash with local rivals Schalke was one of the Bundesliga fixtures to take place last Saturday.

Erling Haaland opened the scoring in a 4-0 success for Dortmund, scoring for the 10th time in nine Bundesliga matches since his mid-season move from Salzburg.

Having been strongly linked to Real Madrid of late, Seifert feels Dortmund deserve credit for signing the Norwegian teenager when they did.

"It's easy now to admire a player who is already at the focus of worldwide attention," he said.

"The hard thing is signing him before that happens. Dortmund did that, again doing an excellent job."

The German top flight resumed over the weekend and Liverpool manager Klopp said his enjoyment of the spectacle was not dampened by the absence of fans, though he conceded that may be down to him being a "strange person".

While in an ideal world he would prefer stadiums to be full, Klopp wants people to appreciate the fact football is slowly returning after a prolonged coronavirus-enforced shutdown.

And the former Borussia Dortmund coach felt the league in which he used to manage had shown the way forward.

"Look, I love it," he told Liverpool's official website following a weekend of games in his homeland that included a 4-0 win for Dortmund over Schalke.

"In this part I'm a strange person; when I watch football – other games, not our games – I watch them most of the time without sound because I don't want to hear the commentary, I'm just interested in the game.

"So now for me it's completely normal to watch other football games. I love the game, I'm interested in what they do and stuff like this.

"I know, football behind closed doors, of course it's not the same. Why do we have to mention it? We all love it when we have contact, when we get cheered up by the people, when they push us through the yards and all that stuff. We love that but we cannot have it.

"Why would you think always about something you cannot have in the moment? Use the thing you have in the moment.

"And it looks like it will be possible – and it is in Germany already possible – to play behind closed doors. And the football games were really good; super goals, real fight, tight games, clear games, clear results, a proper fight.

"Imagine, the first night is a little bit like, 'Have a look here and there, how will it work, how does it feel?'.

"But in Germany so many teams play for pretty much everything – they want to stay in the league – and that's exactly the same what will happen in England."

On Tuesday it was announced that coronavirus tests carried out on 748 Premier League players and staff returned six positive results across three clubs, with no names disclosed.

It is hoped fixtures could recommence in June, with Klopp's side needing two more wins to claim a first top-flight crown in 30 years.