The Premier League has been forced to postpone all fixtures until April 4 at the earliest after a number of high-profile personnel within the game contracted the virus.
Ancelotti confirmed that a member of his squad was showing symptoms, and while he reassured measures had been taken to prevent the spreading of the virus, there won’t be major changes in the club’s day-to-day running.
“We’re not really self-isolating at all, but some prevention measures did come in after a player had a fever, but his temperature has dropped now and that’s the most important thing,” Ancelotti told Gazzetta dello Sport, as quoted by Football Italia.
“The Premier League did stop eventually, and it’s about time. It was the right decision faced with the scenario. We couldn’t continue. Health is the most important thing for everyone: teams, fans, media, everyone who works in football.
“In theory, we ought to get back to work on March 22, but if the situation in general should worsen, how can we even think of that? If the coronavirus is still spreading rapidly, football cannot resume.”
Following the postponement, much has been made of how the league will be resolved should the delay stretch beyond the current April 3 target. However, the Everton boss insisted there are far more important matters at hand than the conclusion of the Premier League.
“To be perfectly honest, I am not interested,” Ancelotti added. “Football counts for zero right now and it almost irritates me to be talking about it, faced with the tragedy that is unfolding in front of our eyes. This is a pandemic, a situation none of us had experienced before now.
“The number of deaths in Italy is terrible. In one day, another 250 people died. The priority is to concentrate on this fight, the rest doesn’t matter.”
After a period of playing behind closed doors, Serie A was forced to postpone all league games as the coronavirus continued to spread throughout Italy. While Ancelotti backed the decision made by his native country, he went on to add that he didn’t think the enormity of the situation hadn't quite been grasped in England.
“Italy were forced to understand that it was time to stop being superficial, they had to respect the orders and stay home, to respect themselves and others during this war,” he continued.
“I watched Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s speech on TV and it seems to be someone here hasn’t realised the gravity of the situation. Life continues as normal, to a certain degree.”
Source : 90min