West Ham defender Angelo Ogbonna has criticised the Premier League for their handling of the coronavirus crisis.
England's top flight, as well as the Football League, was suspended until April 4 at the earliest in an announcement made on Friday.
The top four divisions of the English game originally planned to fulfil this weekend's fixtures, which would have seen West Ham face Wolves.
And Ogbonna has hit out at how the authorities in England, questioning whether it would have taken a death for them to put the season on hold.
“I am happy and relieved that everything has now been suspended, including the minor leagues. It was almost as if they wanted to ignore such a serious problem,” the Italian told Corriere della Sera.
“It’s not just football, but this problem is ingrained in the English mentality. They still don’t realise the danger of a virus that can be passed on in seconds if you don’t behave in the right way.
“It’s completely unacceptable that the Arsenal game [last weekend] against us was allowed to go ahead. They had just played against Olympiacos, whose president tested positive for coronavirus.
“It’s almost as if they were waiting for someone to die before taking action.
"I haven’t been tested or checked over in any way. That is another testament to an attitude that is at the very least superficial.”
It is still unclear whether the Premier League season will ever be completed, with one report suggesting that the action might not restart until September at the earliest.
UEFA will hold a meeting with 55 member associations to discuss the possibility of pushing Euro 2020 back 12 months.
That would allow domestic leagues more time to complete their campaigns, with 16th-placed West Ham currently outside the Premier League relegation zone on goal difference alone.
READ MORE
It's easy to want to hate RB Leipzig – but it's a plastic club that still treats its fans right
‘After Manchester City’s recent form, maybe they’re the underdogs against Manchester United!’ Former Red Devils defender on this weekend’s derby
‘Arteta, Alonso, Emery, me… none of us were physical players – we needed the understanding of the game. That probably helped us move into management’: Premier League boss reveals reasons for natural career progression
