Reports | Premier League to offer special reward to clubs with highest number of vaccinated players

While the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus saw football halted across Europe in mid-2020, things have since changed more than eighteen months later. It has seen leagues across the world adapt to the virus instead with clubs becoming bio-bubbles before the vaccine was fully released. But while stadiums are fully packed again and will only allow fully vaccinated fans inside, reports have indicated that a large number of players haven’t been fully vaccinated.

That was confirmed by the Premier League, who revealed that 13 out of the 20 top flight clubs have players where less than 50 percent of them are fully vaccinated. It has seen Sky Sports report that the league has, via a letter to each club, offered a special reward for the side with the highest number of vaccinated players. The letter also read that only seven clubs have squads that are “more than 50% fully vaccinated”.

"According to the data we have, only seven clubs' squads are more than 50 per cent fully vaccinated, so we have a way to go,” reads the letter, reported Sky Sports.

"We are considering if and how best we can 'reward' those squads/players who are most Covid-compliant and who have opted to be vaccinated.

"It is increasingly clear that full vaccination will be the key criteria for Government and health authorities, in terms of international travel and potential Covid certification at large scale events."