Gunners coronavirus fears: Arsenal release statement after Olympiacos owner reveals he has illness

Arsenal have reassured fans that none of their staff members have reported coronavirus symptoms after it emerged that the owner of recent opponents Olympiacos had tested positive for the disease.

The Gunners played Greek team Olympiacos across two legs in the UEFA Europa League last 32, with the second of those games being played at the Emirates Stadium in London on February 27.

Olympiacos owner Evangelos Marinakis – who is also majority owner of English Championship side Nottingham Forest – revealed on Tuesday that he had been “visited” by the coronavirus, and was now self-isolating on the advice of doctors.

Marinakis watched his team face Arsenal in London, although the Gunners have moved to allay concerns, issuing a statement reading: "Our home match with Olympiacos was played on Thursday 27th February and none of our staff who came into contact with [Marinakis] on that matchday have reported any symptoms since.

"We continue to follow strict protocols with regard to Coronavirus. We’re following the Government health guidelines and have additional procedures in place to protect our players and staff.

"This has included regular deep cleaning of areas used by players at Emirates Stadium and our training centre."

Greek tycoon Marinakis. © Reuters / Alkis Konstantinidis

Also of potential concern is that Marinakis watched his other team Nottingham Forest take on Millwall in their home game on Friday.

Nottingham Forest have reportedly taken the precaution of testing players for the virus after training on Tuesday, while a Millwall spokesman said that the team are “aware of the news and are seeking appropriate medical advice and guidance.

“All necessary precautions are already being taken," they added. 

The spread of the coronavirus continues to play havoc with sporting events, with announcements on Tuesday that two more Champions League matches – Barcelona versus Napoli and Bayern Munich versus Chelsea – have been added to the list of those to be played behind closed doors.