Hearts manager and captain react to football’s suspension due to Coronavirus outbreak

After the announcement from the Joint Response Group of the
SPFL and SFA that all domestic professional football games have been suspended indefinitely,
Hearts have said they fully support the decision and understand that while this
scenario may cause inconvenience and uncertainty among supporters, the health
and wellbeing of supporters, players, staff and the general public must take
priority.

Manager Daniel Stendel and captain Steven Naismith have
given their reaction to the news

Stendel told the official Hearts website:

“It is a big blow for everyone to have no football, but this
is an extraordinary situation and people’s health must come first.

 “You see in other countries that games
are being postponed, then you have European games and English games called off,
so it makes sense that matches in Scotland are the same.

 “We do not know what will happen next.
I’m sure that the clubs will be speaking to the league and a sensible decision
will be made. I have said before that I think the league should be played to a
finish and I believe that is the fair thing to do.

 “However, I do not know if this can
happen so we need a solution that is fair to everyone and I am sure that this
is what the league will do.

 “For now we will plan the best way for
the players to keep fit and be ready in case we can start playing games again.”

 Club captain Steven Naismith says suspending
the league is the right decision

“I think it definitely is the right move. Britain in general
has kind of been the last ones to make that call but the biggest thing here is
health and safety. That’s paramount for everything. You then go further down,
and football is about the fans. To compromise on any health issues or closed-door
games goes against what we all do this game and love this game for. I think
it’s the right decision. It now gives everybody a situation where we can sit
and look at what the best way forward is, what structure going forward is the
best to be played out. That’s not just domestically but that across all of international
football and every other competition out there. Overall it is the right
decision and we as a club will follow what the guidelines are from now on in to
be ready for the next game, whenever that may be.”

 “We don’t know what is going to happen
next. These conversations will have been going on for days and there will be a
process that we now follow. The main thing now is that we, as a country, can
get over this virus and move forward. Once you’re at the other end of that and
looking back then it’ll definitely be the right decision and the safest one.”

 Naismith admitted the players talk about
the situation in the dressing room

“It’s something that was talked about more frequently over
the last day or so, in terms of what’s happened in different leagues and what
measures they’re all taking. It’s natural to then speculate what is going to
happen. The course and the spread of this virus has been that rapid and that
quick that it was inevitable that there was going to be a shutdown. Now we’re
at that point.”

 “When it’s on your actual doorstep and
it’s getting to the point where this virus is that deadly then it puts things
into a clearer perspective and that is that health and safety is paramount. We
can play football when everybody’s moved on beyond this virus and get back to
enjoying that.”

 The skipper also gave his views on playing games
behind closed doors.

“It’s not right not to have fans there cheering on their
team. Going further down, fans have paid their money so there’s the whole
financial aspect of it. At the moment, in general, everybody’s personal agendas
have to be put aside for what’s best for the whole country and the whole world
in this pandemic. The right measures are now being taken. This process will go
on for as long as it needs to go on until everything’s cleared. I don’t think
there can be any short-term measures here. This is a serious issue that the
coverage that everybody has seen shows. It is a very serious situation.”

 Finally, Naismith said he was confident
he and his teammates will be prepared when football resumes.

“You don’t want to be caught cold when it comes back around to
training and fixtures. The professional levels in the game now are such that
people do keep going when there’s a period of internationals, a break or when
there’s time off. Players still get on with their individual programmes and
make sure that they’re in the fittest state possible.”