Villa Players on International Duty - Covid impacts

[PeterWithe]

Smith can ask them not to go and he appears to have done so but he can’t fine them for following FIFA rules.

[Leicester_Villian]

It’s unbelievable that the Smith haters are at it yet again …… I presume it was his fault there were no steak pies against Brentford
People need to get off the guys back and look at all the positive he had done for the club
Villa could not refuse to release the players and FIFA could ban players if they or the club refused them travel

[lovejoy]

The bigger picture here is that the UKs covid situation is worse than other european countries that the Brazilians impose more draconian entry rules on us.

[andyh]

The bigger picture here is that the UKs covid situation is worse than other european countries that the Brazilians impose more draconian entry rules on us.

Oh god, why did you have to say that 😂

[paul_e]

It’s unbelievable that the Smith haters are at it yet again …… I presume it was his fault there were no steak pies against Brentford
People need to get off the guys back and look at all the positive he had done for the club
Villa could not refuse to release the players and FIFA could ban players if they or the club refused them travel

No they can't, players can refuse a call up for any reason they like, so long as FIFA can't prove that it was the clubs decision there's nothing they can do. From the players perspective international football is entirely voluntary, this is why other sports have introduced the idea of central contracts so the players are contracted to be available for international competition even if it means missing club games.

[Demitri_C]

I don't know what's happened here but I blame Dean Smith. None of Bielsa's players were involved.

These are the kind of situations that make me realise how soft smith is. Scared to upset a player so you let them do as they please. Klopp, ferguson, tuchel wouldnt stand for this shit

So your Smith, what exactly would you suggest he have done to prevent this?

What the other managers did in the premier league. Dont allow them to go

[Demitri_C]

It’s unbelievable that the Smith haters are at it yet again …… I presume it was his fault there were no steak pies against Brentford
People need to get off the guys back and look at all the positive he had done for the club
Villa could not refuse to release the players and FIFA could ban players if they or the club refused them travel

Its ridiculous anyone who criticises smith now is "smith hater"

[Risso]

It’s unbelievable that the Smith haters are at it yet again …… I presume it was his fault there were no steak pies against Brentford
People need to get off the guys back and look at all the positive he had done for the club
Villa could not refuse to release the players and FIFA could ban players if they or the club refused them travel

No they can't, players can refuse a call up for any reason they like, so long as FIFA can't prove that it was the clubs decision there's nothing they can do. From the players perspective international football is entirely voluntary, this is why other sports have introduced the idea of central contracts so the players are contracted to be available for international competition even if it means missing club games.

I'm not sure that's correct Paul. There was that incident with Matip not wanting to play for Cameroon a few years ago, and being banned from playing for Liverpool, despite having already said he didn't want to play for the national team.

[sickbeggar]

End of the day it could work out for us in the long term. Sounds like a lot of people and organisations are looking to cover their backs about this monumental feck-up so if the players did lie (and were probably told to) I can see them getting an international ban for a game or too.

[eamonn]

I don't know what's happened here but I blame Dean Smith. None of Bielsa's players were involved.

These are the kind of situations that make me realise how soft smith is. Scared to upset a player so you let them do as they please. Klopp, ferguson, tuchel wouldnt stand for this shit

At least he gave Grealish three months off to get rested and well for the Euros and a big summer move 

[lovejoy]

Let's face it we weren't going to beat Chelsea anyway.

[Demitri_C]

Let's face it we weren't going to beat Chelsea anyway.

Did you think that as well last game of the season too?

[lovejoy]

Isn't our next game away and they wont be resting players for a Euro cup final? A completely different Umboto Gorge.

[sickbeggar]

Yep.  It's possible we could get a fighting draw out of it with a full team, or even with the reserves out, but the reality is we're probably talking about the difference between losing 2-0 and 3-0.

[paul_e]

It’s unbelievable that the Smith haters are at it yet again …… I presume it was his fault there were no steak pies against Brentford
People need to get off the guys back and look at all the positive he had done for the club
Villa could not refuse to release the players and FIFA could ban players if they or the club refused them travel

No they can't, players can refuse a call up for any reason they like, so long as FIFA can't prove that it was the clubs decision there's nothing they can do. From the players perspective international football is entirely voluntary, this is why other sports have introduced the idea of central contracts so the players are contracted to be available for international competition even if it means missing club games.

I'm not sure that's correct Paul. There was that incident with Matip not wanting to play for Cameroon a few years ago, and being banned from playing for Liverpool, despite having already said he didn't want to play for the national team.

Yep, agreed, I misread something about it. However I'm not wrong right now because if there is any possibility of a player having to quarantine at any stage they can refuse to join, FIFA changed that last summer.

The bit i misread was about how, right now, national FAs, FIFA and players are all largely following a "gentleman's agreement" process around this because no one wants to be the case that triggers a legal challenge so, in effect, players can withdraw and national teams will rarely raise any objection to it. The article was in Norwegian though (and I mistranslated part of it) because it was specifically about a few of their squad raising moral objections to playing in a world cup in Qatar. A couple of months ago the Norwegian FA voted against boycotting the world cup completely but now the arguments are around whether any of the players will refuse to go (if they qualify of course).