15 professional footballers have been fined by their clubs after all attending a house party at the home of a Leicester City Women striker last weekend.
The group included 10 players from Leicester’s women’s team, as well as two from Birmingham City Women and three members of Leicester’s Under-23 men’s squad.
The party was held at the home of Leicester’s top scorer, Natasha Flint. However, a source close to Flint told Telegraph Sport that, while the gathering took place at her house, she had not invited everybody and most of the attendees had turned up while she was out of the house.
Leicester are understood to have fined all of their players involved, while Birmingham have also fined their duo and suspended them.
The party took place after it was confirmed on Saturday, February 13th that Leicester Women’s league trip to Durham on the following day had been postponed.
A Leicester City spokesman said: “The club was extremely disappointed to learn of this breach, which had the potential to undermine the extensive work of club staff to provide our professional teams with safe environments in which to train and play.
“Moreover, such behaviour undermines the national effort in which our communities continue to play their part, making daily personal sacrifices to control the spread of the virus. It is in this context that we set high behavioural standards for our personnel which, in this instance, have not been met. Our response to the matter will be concluded internally.”
It is understood that none of the unnamed men’s Under-23 players involved were in contention to travel with Leicester’s men’s first-team squad to the Czech Republic for Thursday’s Europe League tie against Slavia Prague.
Leicester are top of the Women’s Championship, pushing for promotion to the Women’s Super League, and sit ahead of second-placed Durham on goal-difference with a game in hand.
Former Manchester City forward Flint is enjoying arguably the best campaign of her career and is the second-highest scorer in the division.
Leicester’s women’s side turned professional last summer and reached this season’s League Cup semi-finals, which is the furthest they have ever progressed in the cup.
None of the players involved with last weekend’s party will be permitted to return to training at Leicester until they have returned a negative Covid test. Sources close to the squad said fines equating to at least one weeks wages had been issued.
Leicester Women boss Jonathan Morgan is said to have been angered by the incident and the club quickly conducted an investigation.
Birmingham City Women have been contacted for a response.
Last weekend’s party is said to have annoyed the members of the Leicester squad who did not take part, coming at a vital time in the season.
Leicester currently occupy the only promotion slot at the top of the Women’s Championship, with seven games remaining this term. They have lost only one league game this season and reached the last four in the League Cup, where they were narrowly beaten 1-0 away at WSL side Bristol City.
They have never played in the WSL, England’s top flight, in which FA Cup semi-finalists Birmingham are currently ninth, five points above the relegation zone.
Birmingham and Leicester’s women are expected to face one another in a friendly this Sunday, with the women’s game currently in an international break.
Neither side has a competitive fixture under Sunday, February 28th, when Leicester are set to host Crystal Palace in the Championship.
