On-loan Sheffield Wednesday starlet Matt Penney on how German football has handled the coronavirus crisis

Matt Penney is the only Sheffield Wednesday player allowed to train with teammates – because he is on loan in Germany with St Pauli.
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The 22-year-old wing-back has enjoyed an up-and-down season with the second-tier outfit under former Owls boss Jos Luhukay, receiving a red card on debut before entering the club’s history books in scoring in a 2-0 derby win over fierce city rivals Hamburg.

And Penney is excited to have restarted training as German football starts out on a hopeful return to action.

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“They are handling things a bit differently over here,” Penney said. “It seems the German people have taken on the advice and listened.

“Maybe they are more obedient. I have looked online in England and there are videos of people playing cricket in parks.

“My mum is a nurse in Chesterfield and is in an intensive care unit. It is normally one ward of eight and now it is four wards of eight. It is crazy and obviously worrying and very difficult.”

The EFL have outlined June 6 as a possible Championship return date, with matches played behind closed doors. No team may train until May 16.

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“Here in Germany, we have been allowed to train again but we have to be two metres apart,” Penney said in his interview with The Sun.

Matt Penney has spoken about his experience in Germany, on loan at St Pauli.Matt Penney has spoken about his experience in Germany, on loan at St Pauli.
Matt Penney has spoken about his experience in Germany, on loan at St Pauli.

“At the start of last week, Dortmund and Bayern Munich were all back and we were all allowed the day after.

“We are training in groups of five. There are three groups of five at the training ground but all at different times. Then there are two groups at the stadium, all at different times.

“It feels so good. It is so much better than standard running around a lake or a park which we were doing before.

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“At the moment, the aim is for both the Bundesliga and Bundesliga II to return in May and finish as soon as possible.

"There will be two or three games a week but we need to get the season finished. It will feel strange not having any fans in the stadiums as they will be behind closed doors. But, if it is safe, we should do it.”

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