Tottenham coach Jose Mourinho admitted to breaking government protocol as pictures surfaced of him leading a small training session with some of his players at a London park. Mourinho was pictured with Tanguy Ndombele and others, while videos were published of Davinson Sanchez and Ryan Sessegnon running together wearing Tottenham gear. This comes as the coronavirus pandemic continues to be a major problem in England. Residents have been asked to practice social distancing and stay home.
"[I accept that] my actions were not in line with government protocol," Mourinho said, according to BBC.
Defender Serge Aurier also posted a video of himself on Instagram jogging alongside teammates, which didn't help matters.
El técnico portugués José Mourinho se disculpó luego de ser visto en un parque de Londres entrenando a algunos futbolistas del Tottenham.
— Nuestros Deportes (@nuestrosdporte2) April 8, 2020
"Sé que mis acciones no fueron correctas. Es vital que sigamos las órdenes del gobierno y solo tengamos contacto con los miembros de casa". pic.twitter.com/TAQEAWklU6
Tottenham spoke to the players and told them to respect the nation's coronavirus guidelines, according to BBC. Numerous prominent figures in the country have contracted the virus, including prime minister Boris Johnson and Prince Charles. Mourinho said he does realize he needs to lead by example.
"I accept that my actions were not in line with government protocol and we must only have contact with members of our own household," Mourinho said. "It is vital we all play our part and follow government advice in order to support our heroes in the NHS and save lives."
Mourinho is the latest big Premier League name to break social distancing guidelines. Aston Villa player Jack Grealish went to see a friend a day right after asking his Twitter followers to stay at home and got into a car accident, while Manchester City defender Kyle Walker reportedly had a house party with sex workers for which he's apologized.
