Football
PA Sport 6y

Leeds United players 'probably didn't sleep' after Myanmar tour news - Heckingbottom

Leeds manager Paul Heckingbottom has said players and staff "probably didn't sleep" after being told about the club's tour to Myanmar next month.

The Championship club's controversial plans to play two games in Yangon and Mandalay have been met with fierce criticism.

Shadow sports minister Rosena Allin-Khan, Amnesty International and a large number of fans have urged Leeds to cancel the trip.

Myanmar's regime has been accused of the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims, while critics have branded the tour "morally corrupt."

Heckingbottom said his players had raised health and safety concerns, among them the Zika virus, which has affected the country.

"Yes that's one of the things, one of many, that obviously we're looking into," the manager said. "There's that, plus a lot more that we have to be careful about and get fears put to bed.

"You can imagine as soon as the trip was announced, players, staff, people who might think they're going, straight on the internet, [thinking] 'what are we going to face?'

"They probably didn't sleep that night, but it's never as bad as you think. But we have to take all the precautions necessary as a club to make sure everything's OK.

"The players might have concerns and we have to put them to rest and make sure they're comfortable with everything that's going on.

"We're employed by the club and we have to go and do our job."

Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani, whose companies Aser and Eleven Sports have business partnerships in the region, said the club would not receive any payment to play in Myanmar.

Players will also hold football clinics with the Myanmar Football Federation Academies in Yangon and Mandalay.

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