Southgate axes Greenwood and Foden over Coronavirus breach

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VIDEO SHOWS: ENGLAND MANAGER GARETH SOUTHGATE SPEAKING AT A NEWS CONFERENCE AFTER DROPPING PHIL FODEN AND MASON GREENWOOD / B-ROLL OF ENGLAND TRAINING AND GREENWOOD AND FODEN TRAINING

SHOWS: BURTON ON TRENT, ENGLAND, UK (SEPTEMBER 4, 2020) (FATV - MUST CREDIT FATV)

1. ENGLAND MANAGER GARETH SOUTHGATE

2. PHIL FODEN

3. MASON GREENWOOD

REYKJAVIK, ICELAND (SEPTEMBER 7, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ENGLAND MANAGER, GARETH SOUTHGATE, SAYING:

"Unfortuantely this morning it was brought to my attention that two of the boys have broken the Covid guidelines in terms of our secure bubble, and so we had to decide very quickly that they couldn't have any interaction with the rest of the team, they wouldn't be able to travel to training, and given the procedures that we have to follow now they will have to travel back to England separately."

REPORTER ASKING: "Is it correct they had girls in their room? They invited girls into their hotel room within the team hotel."

SOUTHGATE: "Nothing has happened in the areas that we occupy in the hotel. We're still getting to the depths of all the information because, as I said, this was only brought to my attention a couple of hours before training. As you've seen, we've had to train inbetween, so I'm still getting to grips with the detail. But what is clear is that there was a breach of the Covid guideline. We've spent such a long time getting those measures in place and the whole squad have really followed that to the letter. We've had four tests in the period we have been together, our staff have done an incredible job of keeping that really secure and tight, which was so important both to get the games played but to also for the safety and security of our team and our staff. So in that respect we have no alternative but to do what we are doing."

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - JUNE 7, 2020) (CITYTV - DO NOT OBSCURE LOGO)

5. FODEN JOGGING

BURTON ON TRENT, ENGLAND, UK (SEPTEMBER 4, 2020) (FATV - MUST CREDIT FATV)

6. FODEN

REYKJAVIK, ICELAND (SEPTEMBER 7, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ENGLAND MANAGER, GARETH SOUTHGATE, SAYING:

"I think we have to treat every incident separately. These are two boys I don't know particularly well at the moment, so I can't speak in great depth. I've obviously got to try to speak with them later in the appropriate way. They've got responsibilities. They have apologised. But everything has happened so quickly that, I'm obviously speaking to you as was pre-planned, the rest we've got to get to the bottom of all the facts."

BURTON ON TRENT, ENGLAND, UK (SEPTEMBER 4, 2020) (FATV - MUST CREDIT FATV)

8. ENGLAND TRAINING

REYKJAVIK, ICELAND (SEPTEMBER 7, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ENGLAND MANAGER, GARETH SOUTHGATE, SAYING:

"I think at the moment I'm trying to take a lot of information in. They've obviously been naive. We've dealt with it appropriately. I think everything from there on... I recognise their age, but of course the whole world are dealing with this pandemic and there is responsibility on every age group to make sure that they play their part in keeping each other safe and not spreading the virus. We're certainly not underestimating how important it has been to try and keep that bubble as we have.

BURTON ON TRENT, ENGLAND, UK (SEPTEMBER 4, 2020) (FATV - MUST CREDIT FATV)

10. ENGLAND TRAINING

REYKJAVIK, ICELAND (SEPTEMBER 7, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

11. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ENGLAND MANAGER, GARETH SOUTHGATE, SAYING: (ON CONSEQUENCES FOR THE PLAYERS INVOLVED)

"I think all of those things are too early Rob (reporter asking question). Until I have all the information, until I'm totally aware of every situation then I don't think I should be making those sorts of comments. You know I'm a father with young children... young adults rather, I know young people get things wrong. We're not excusing that in this instance and we've got to assess eveything else moving forward."

REYKAVIK, ICELAND (SEPTEBER 5, 2020) (ACTION IMAGES - ACCESS ALL) (MUTE)

12. STILL OF PHIL FODEN KNEELING

13. STILL OF FODEN WITH COACHING STAFF MEMBER

14. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF MASON GREENWOOD

15. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF GARETH SOUTHGATE

STORY: England manager Gareth Southgate said both Phil Foden and Mason Greenwood will play no part in Tuesday's Nations League game in Denmark after breaching COVID-19 protocols in Iceland.

Speaking at a news conference on Monday (September 7), Southgate said they had both been isolated from the rest of the squad and would travel back from Iceland to the UK separately.

Video footage emerged of Manchester City's Foden and Manchester United's Greenwood allegedly meeting girls in their hotel room after Saturday's Nations League win in Reykjavik.

The footage came to light on Icelandic outlet DV after the girls shared videos on Snapchat on Sunday.

Southgate also said that the right precautions had been taken while the team is still in Iceland so as not to put the Denmark game in Copenhagen game at risk.

Both players made their full international debuts against Iceland, 20-year-old midfielder Foden from the start and forward Greenwood, 18, as a substitute.

Like all of the England squad they were subject to strict COVID-19 health protocols to avoid Iceland's quarantine rules.

These included not meeting anyone outside of the England squad and staff during the team's stay in Iceland.

England's Football Association (FA) said they would be investigating the 'unacceptable' breach of protocols.

"We've spoken to the Football Association of Iceland to offer our apologies for this incident and to ensure them that we are taking the appropriate steps," an FA spokesperson said in a statement.

"We have also assured the Danish Football Union that all other players and staff members have been isolated within our group throughout this period."

Manchester City issued a statement saying Foden's actions were 'totally inappropriate' and below the standard of behaviour expected of a City and England player.

United also reacted to the news. "Manchester United are liaising with the Football Association and are disappointed with the actions of Mason Greenwood over this situation," they said.

It is the latest off-field incident involving an England player in recent weeks, following Harry Maguire being given a suspended prison sentence by a Greek court after being accused of various charges following an alleged brawl during a family holiday on the island of Mykonos.