On one hand, modern hotels, lavish meals prepared by the safe hands of a club chef and daily trips out for training. On the other, gruesome meals and cramped rooms. It is not difficult to guess which of these options belongs to a Premier League footballer this week and which to the general public.
This is the new inescapable reality in these turbulent times as the world continues to move on from the coronavirus pandemic. Football will press on, and in doing so players will be afforded luxury where, for many others, there is none.
Critics have been quick to point out the sheer hypocrisy of it all.
After a change in regulations from the government, fully vaccinated players returning over the next few days from red-list countries after playing international football will be able to avoid the strict 10-day spells in hotel quarantine that they were forced to undertake during the chaos of the last international break.
Instead, they will be housed for the same period, but in 'bespoke quarantine facilities'. Despite being cut off from their family, friends and the public, the outlook of their everyday life while holed up will be very different.
Premier League footballers will enjoy relative luxury during their 10-day quarantine periods
Tottenham's players are likely to stay at The Lodge, state-of-the-art accommodation in Enfield
The isolation is not exactly around the clock, either. This is because players who have received both jabs will be allowed out once a day to train or play, allowing them to keep up their fitness levels and avoid missing out on matches.
On the flip side, those not fully inoculated will still have to spend the entire 10 days in 24-hour quarantine at a hotel - and, to make sure footballers stick to the rules before they travel, they will also sign a code of conduct.
This includes restrictions on transport and close contact, as well as protocols over testing, vaccinations and bio-secure bubbles. Food will be delivered and left outside their doors, with all face-to-face contact cut off entirely.
The bedrooms are fully sound proof and the mattresses are the same as at the players' homes
Should they fail to comply by leaving their accommodation for prohibited reasons, they would then lose their eligibility for the new exemption. This would see them face up to the full hotel quarantine for the whole period.
When returning to the UK, those with one jab or none will be obliged to see out their mandatory quarantine in the hotels used by the members of the public, who would follow the same steps after travelling to a red-list nation.
As it stands, players are able to choose the hotel they stay in, but Public Health England will also be involved. It is this exception that opens the door for them to receive five-star treatment after joining back up with their clubs.
Meals will be prepared for them, and they will be a far cry from the slop that members of the public have complained they have been served during their own quarantine experiences. The hotels footballers will use to quarantine in will be state-of-the-art, guaranteeing a comfortable stay.
For example, Spurs' players would be able to isolate at The Lodge, a 40-bedroom, two floor building used to delivering the highest quality private accommodation and treatment facilities. Better yet, it is located next to their training centre.
Each footballer has their own room, which is designed to help them feel at home. They will typically stay there before and after fixtures, and former manager Jose Mourinho was known to make extensive use of the luxuries there.
The club have gone to incredible lengths to ensure The Lodge is as welcoming as it possibly can be. The attention to detail is immaculate, with the mattresses on the players' beds exactly the same as the ones back at their houses.
High-level club chefs will provide players with their food, which is delivered to their door
The Lodge has 40 bedrooms and delivers high quality accommodation and treatment facilities
It has been known that some stars have asked to take their pillow cases and duvet covers back with them. Another standout benefit is the 100 per cent noise cancelling insulation, helping them to avoid being woken up at night.
Manchester United, meanwhile, may not have purpose-built accommodation at their Carrington complex, but the Lowry Hotel would represent yet another lavish location for the members of their squad that need to quarantine.
Manchester United make use of the lavish Lowry Hotel in the city before their home fixtures
A five-star premium stay for the rich and famous, the site is used extensively by United ahead of their home games. The club block book tens of the plush double rooms for many nights throughout the season.
There is a refurbished spa and gym there, sanctioned after a hefty £4million investment, and, again, Mourinho opted to stay there in comfort during his spell in charge of United, instead of splashing out on a flat inside the city centre.
When players likely stay there for the 10 days later this month, they will have their food dished up for them by chefs trained in fine dining, and will also be able to head to and from United's training pitches and matches.
Asked about the new restrictions for footballers, which are now in place for the current international break, the government stressed that a middle ground has been found between safety and keeping sport on the road.
Overlooking Trinity Bridge on the River Irwell, the hotel offers the players luxurious rooms
United's stars may choose to make use of the Lowry Hotel to house them during their isolation
A spokesman said: 'We have worked closely with football authorities to achieve an outcome that balances the interests of both club and country while maintaining the highest
