Footballers are acting in a 'brainless' way that is 'an insult to the NHS' by engaging in group hugs after scoring goals, senior politicians have claimed.
Players have been warned to avoid 'unnecessary contact at all times' including 'handshakes and hugging' in a set of tough new rules sent to Premier League clubs on Friday.
Ministers have also made clear they don't want to see images of footballers flouting social distancing rules at a time of national crisis, and such actions make it harder to justify the continuation of elite sport during a national lockdown.