French commentators shun Premier League games because English fans do not wear masks

‘I have never seen an Englishman wearing a mask in any stadium,’ said one French commentator

Manchester City fans at the Etihad Stadium earlier this week (PA)

Footbal commentators from one of the biggest broadcasters in France have stopped travelling to Premier League stadiums – because English fans do not wear an anti-Covid mask.

Anthony Tobelem, a senior journalist on Canal+, made the startling admission while highlighting the growing health crisis in the Premier League.

Pointing to a record 42 positive Covid test results for players over a week, he said: ‘Us commentators have been staying in the Canal+ studio for two weeks in light of these figures.

“It’s for the better given that if you don’t wear a mask, you’re at risk of testing positive, and the English until a few days ago did not wear a mask.”

Mr Tobelem added: “I have never seen an Englishman wearing a mask in any stadium since I’ve been there in August [at the start of the current season].”

Mr Tobelem was speaking from the Canal+ studio in Paris during coverage of Premiership games on Tuesday, including Manchester City against Leeds.

Wearing a mask to football matches is compulsory in France, but there is currently no such rule in England, even though many health professionals advise usage in crowds.

The need to wear a mask on trains, coaches and other forms of transport is meant to be mandatory in the UK, but the measure is not strictly enforced.

Emergency measures were introduced at Premiership clubs last week, but they did not come quickly enough to stop Brentford’s home game against Manchester United being postponed on Tuesday because of a Covid outbreak.

Now more match postponements are feared over the hugely busy Christmas period, along with the spectre of games being played in empty stadiums, as they were at the height of the pandemic.

New measures require a return to social distancing at training grounds and they also limit time spent in treatment rooms.

A limit to social contact between players and staff is also being encouraged in a bid to fight the omicron variant of Covid, which is many times more transmissible than other ones.

With the situation worsening, France is contemplating tightening controls for all travellers arriving from Britain.

An arriving fan receives a Covid-19 spot check outside the stadium before the Premier League match between Manchester City and Leeds on Tuesday (PA)

French government spokesman Gabriel Attal said earlier this week: “Regarding Britain, the current rule is to show a negative test less than 48 hours old in order to enter France.

“But we are always looking at means to tighten the framework, we are currently working on that and we should, I think, come to a conclusion in the coming days.”