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COVID outbreak sees Tottenham's game with Rennes postponed

Tottenham's UEFA Europa Conference League meeting with Rennes on Thursday night has been postpone...



Tottenham's UEFA Europa Conference League meeting with Rennes on Thursday night has been postponed.

They were due to play host to the Ligue 1 side in their final Group G game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but have seen their squad decimated by coronavirus.

At least eight players - and five of Antonio Conte's backroom staff - have tested positive for the virus, with the manager fearful that more cases are coming their way.

On Wednesday evening, Spurs confirmed that the game had been called off. They've also been advised to close their training facilities.

A statement read:

"We can confirm that our UEFA Europa Conference League Group G home fixture against Stade Rennais will not take place tomorrow (Thursday 9 December at 8pm UK) after a number of positive COVID-19 cases at the Club. Discussions are ongoing with UEFA and we shall provide a further update on this fixture in due course.

"Additionally, following discussions with the Health Security Agency (formerly Public Health England) and DCMS advisers, the Club has been advised to close the First Team area of its Training Centre at this time, in the interests of the health and safety of players and staff.

"All other areas of the Training Centre remain operational."

Talks have been ongoing with the Premier League this week regarding the potential postponement of Sunday's meeting with Brighton.

Speaking ahead of the visit of Rennes, Conte was openly anxious about the rising number of cases at the club.

"Every day, every day we are having contact with the people that are false negative and become positive and then everyone is a bit scared," said the Italian, "I think because we all have family and why I have to take this risk?" he asked.

"Why? This is my question. Today we had the training session, we prepared the game and yesterday two other positives, today two other positives and tomorrow, who? Me? I don’t know. Maybe.

"Better me than a player for sure but I think that it is not right for everyone because we have family and we have contact with them when we come back home we have contact with our family.

"But I repeat and it’s a pity that today during the press conference I have to speak about a different situation not football because football is the most important thing in a press conference but today to speak about football is impossible, it's impossible.

"There are situations that made me very, very upset, very upset because the situation is serious and it is contagious and there is a big infection and now for sure we are a bit scared because tomorrow we don’t know what happens."

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Antonio Conte Conference League Coronavirus Covid-19 Omicron Rennes Tottenham Tottenham Hotspur UEFA UEFA Europa Conference League