Crystal Palace captain Luka Milivojevic says sorry for breaching Coronavirus protocols at Christmas

The club captain said he would be making a donation to the local NHS. "In what is a really difficult and challenging moment for everyone, I am truly grateful that I am able to continue to do the job I love and I do not take this for granted. I am very sorry to anyone who has been made to feel angry, hurt or upset by my actions."

Crystal Palace captain Luka Milivojevic has apologised for breaching coronavirus guidelines after attending a party on New Year's Eve.

Social media pictures showed the Serbian midfielder and Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic at a gathering with at least seven other people. His actions were condemned by Palace manager Roy Hodgson.

Under British government guidelines, people living in Tier 4 regions which included London where the two clubs are located, were not allowed to mix with others outside their own household.

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"I want to publicly apologise for my actions on New Year's Eve," Milivojevic said in a statement on the club's official website.

"As captain of Crystal Palace I am fully aware that my responsibilities go beyond football, and that in this instance, I have let the fans, the club, my manager and team mates down.

In what is a really difficult and challenging moment for everyone, I am truly grateful that I am able to continue to do the job I love and I do not take this for granted. I am very sorry to anyone who has been made to feel angry, hurt or upset by my actions."

Milivojevic, who tested negative for Covid-19 and played in Palace's 2-0 win over Sheffield United over the weekend, said he would be making a donation to the National Health Service.

The Serbian duo were not the only Premier League players to breach Covid-19 protocols in recent weeks.

Tottenham Hotspur's Erik Lamela, Giovani Lo Celso and Sergio Reguilon were pictured together at a Christmas party along with West Ham United midfielder Manuel Lanzini. Manchester City full-back Benjamin Mendy hosted a party on New Year's Eve.

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