Phil Foden and Mason Greenwood’s Icelandic girls have chosen to speak out after sneaking into the England hotel during the international break.
Nadia Sif Lindal Gunnarsdottir, 20, and 19-year-old Lara Clausen – have claimed that they ‘did not know’ the pair played for Manchester United and Manchester City.
Players have been given strict guidelines to ensure coronavirus safety – and the images, including a very short clip, published by Icelandic outlet DV – appears to show Foden and Greenwood disregard those protocols.
Both players were sent home for breaking Covid-19 regulations, a day after making their full international debuts, meaning they missed out on the Denmark game a few days later, which finished goalless.
Players have been given strict guidelines to ensure coronavirus safety – and the images, including a very short clip, published by Icelandic outlet DV – appears to show Foden and Greenwood disregard those protocols.
Meanwhile, the Icelandic girls – who were speaking to Greenwood online before hooking up at the hotel – have now given their side on the meeting, saying they thought it would be “OK” to meet them despite strict quarantine regulations.
Speaking to Mail Online, the model said: “We met online. I was talking to Mason for a couple of days before they came to Iceland.”
One of them added: “I feel really sorry for him and I never wanted to put them in that position but we didn’t know any better and we didn’t know that they were quarantining, or else we wouldn’t have gone to meet them.”
When asked how well they got to know each other, Lara said: “Honestly with all my conscience, I did not realise how famous these guys were. I do not watch football and have never done.
“I did not realise what I was putting on the internet.
Foden and Greenwood are done out here ? These Icelandic girls be snaking pic.twitter.com/W5gXdS5mZM
— Niall Moran ? (@niallmoran_) September 7, 2020
“I had to learn the hard way that not everything is online, you have to be careful what you put on the internet.
“I put this in a private story on my Snapchat and I thought it would never go any further, I did not realise who these guys were and how big it would be.
‘To answer the main question, I’m the person who took up this whole situation. It was a huge mistake.”
On the meeting, she told DV: “We did not wonder if they were quarantined. If we had known better, we would never have gone.
“Many who have sent me that he (Foden) has a girlfriend and a child, I did not know.
“I did not google the person before I went to meet him.
“I feel for everyone around him. Family, girlfriend, teammates and him too.
“They were just young. We were all young and stupid and we all make mistakes. They treated us really well. They were such gentlemen. Really nice guys.”
Foden issued a statement on social media, saying: “Following the story which has emerged today regarding my actions in Iceland, I want to make a full apology.
“I apologise to Gareth Southgate, to my England team-mates, to the staff, supporters and also to my Club and my family.
“When I was called up by Gareth for these games, my first reaction was that of immense pride. To pull on that shirt for the senior team in my England debut was an incredible privilege.
“I am a young player with a lot to learn, but I am aware of the huge responsibility I have in representing Manchester City and England at this level.
“On this occasion I made a poor decision and my behaviour didn’t meet the standards expected of me.
“I breached COVID-19 protocols put in place to protect myself and my England colleagues. As a consequence I will now miss the opportunity to travel to Denmark with the squad, and that hurts.
“I will learn a valuable lesson from this error in judgment and I wish Gareth and the team good luck this week.”
BREAKING: Gareth Southgate reveals Phil Foden and Mason Greenwood have broken Covid guidelines and will be travelling back to England pic.twitter.com/Fnwdq5F3bL
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) September 7, 2020
Gareth Southgate spoke on Monday, stating that the pair had been sent home, missing training for the National League match against Denmark on Tuesday.
“Unfortunately this morning it was brought to my attention that the two boys have broken the COVID guidelines in terms of our secure bubble – had to decide they couldn’t have interaction with the rest of the team,” the England boss told the press.
“Nothing has happened in the areas we occupy in the hotel. We are still getting the depths of the information. Still getting to grips with the detail. We have spent such a long time getting measures in place and the whole squad followed that to the letter.
“I’m not going into any more details until I’m clear of everything. No-one from outside the hotel has been into the areas we occupy.
“We are very clear that no other members of our party have been in contact with the two players – couldn’t join us for breakfast or training. It is a very serious situation and we have treated it that way.
“I think at the moment I’m trying to take a lot of information in. Obviously they have been naive, we have dealt with it appropriately. I recognise their age but the whole world is dealing with this pandemic.
“I’m a father with children, young adults, I know people get things wrong. I’m not excusing that in this instance.”
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