First Minister was speaking ahead of this weekend's Scottish Cup second round fixtures, which will see a number of part-time sides travel to take on professional clubs.
Elite-level sport has so far been allowed to continue uninterrupted despite mainland Scotland being placed under "enhanced" level four restrictions this week, with the public told to stay at home.
Spectators have been banned from almost all football and rugby matches since March last year, a rule which has caused financial headaches for numerous clubs.
Speaking at her daily media briefing today, the SNP leader said: "The exemptions for professional football, and elite sports people generally, are not just for their benefit - we are trying to give people that bit of.
Read more on dailyrecord.co.uk
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