Chelsea manager Frank Lampard said he is is proud of his club's response to the coronavirus pandemic.
While some clubs have been criticised for furloughing staff at the taxpayers' expense during the lockdown, Chelsea have made no such move and drew praise for making their Millennium Hotel available to the NHS in the early days of the crisis.
Long before the debate over whether Premier League players should be taking pay cuts, the first-team squad also made a sizeable donation to the club's foundation in late March, helping to provide support to local hospitals and those affected by the virus.
"I'm very proud to be the manager of this club with the way Chelsea have handled it," Lampard told Sky Sports.
"They were very quick to respond with the help of the hotel and there's a lot more work going on with the foundation, with link-ups and with getting in touch with fans.
"There are a lot of people at Chelsea who have really stood up."
Health Secretary Matt Hancock caused controversy earlier this month when he singled out Premier League footballers in calling for them to sacrifice a portion of their pay to help out, speaking at a time when plans were already being drawn up behind the scenes.
"Football players will try and do the right thing," Lampard said. "I think they needed some time and the politicians jumped the gun while things were being prepared. It was unfortunate that picture got painted.
"Since then a lot of players have stood up. The situation is not perfect but, knowing players, that's been a very good reaction and it's ongoing and it shouldn't stop. If there's a light at the end of this tunnel it's how we give back.
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Football continues in Belarus
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FC Neman players come out before their match against Belshina at the Stadyen Neman, Grodno, Belarus. Reuters -
Football continues to be played in Belarus despite most sport being cancelled across the world due to the coronavirus pandemic. Reuters -
Barely 250 people turned up to watch the match between FC Neman and Belshina at the Stadyen Neman. Reuters -
FC Neman's Zoran Marusic against Belshina's Maksim Grek in Belarus' Vysheyshaya Liga. Reuters -
FC Neman's Andrei Vasilyev takes on Belshina's Yevgeni Skoblikov. Reuters -
FC Neman's Yegor Khvalko during the Vysheyshaya Liga in Belarus. Reuters -
Some fans are still attending the Vysheyshaya Liga in Belarus. Reuters -
Match between FC Neman and Belshina at the Stadyen Neman in Grodno. Reuters -
FC Neman take on Belshina in the Vysheyshaya Liga despite health concerns. Reuters -
FC Neman's Gegham Kadymyan takes on Belshina's Samuel Odeyobo. Reuters -
FC Neman fans at the Stadyen Neman. Reuters -
FC Neman players warm up at Grodno. Reuters -
People play football outside the Stadyen Neman in Grodno. Reuters -
Fans arrive at the Stadyen Neman for the match between FC Neman v Belshina. Reuters -
The Vysheyshaya Liga is still going on amid the pandemic. Reuters -
Security wearing a mask outside the Stadyen Neman. Reuters
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"It's easy said and much harder done but there's been a lot of gestures that have shown that."
Like all managers, Lampard is trying to prepare through an unprecedented time in football, with everybody working from home and no one certain when matches might return.
"It's challenging," he said. "It's not as challenging as it is for some people, we know what tough times these are for people at the minute. It's challenging in that its unprecedented and we don't know how long it's going to go on for.
"We're trying to stay in contact with the players. In football we're so used to schedules and routine and this is completely different."
The 41-year-old, in his first season as Chelsea boss, said he has to trust his players to follow the fitness plans and advice given to them by coaches.
"It's very hard to absolutely manage that," he said. "You can ask them to run an hour a day but some are able to do some open running and some can't so there's a big element of trust in the players.
"We may have a short pre-season coming up so the players need to be ready. But they are professionals so you have to trust that they will want to come back as well as they can."
