More Serie A players test positive
ROME: Two more players at Fiorentina, Argentine international defender German Pezzella and on-loan forward Patrick Cutrone, have tested positive for the coronavirus, the club said on Saturday, bringing the total number infected Serie A players to nine.
The Florence-based club said that Pezzella, 28, and Cutrone, 22, were both tested after showing “some symptoms” of the disease along with physiotherapist Stefano Dainelli, who also tested positive. “They are all in a good state of health in their homes in Florence,” said the club in a statement. Their team mate Dusan Vlahovic tested positive on Friday.
Five players at Sampdoria and one at Juventus have also tested positive.
Pezzella, who has won 16 caps for Argentina, is in his third season at Fiorentina and has made 94 appearances. Cutrone was signed on loan from English Premier League Wolverhampton Wanderers in January.
Fiorentina’s most recent opponents were Udinese who have suspended training and s a i d t hat t hei r s q uad wil l remain in self-isolation until March 22. Serie A has been suspended until at least April 3 amid a general ban on sporting events in the country which has been t he worst- af f ect ed in Europe by the coronavirus.
TROYES GETS HIT TOO TROYES : Two players at French club Troyes have tested positive for the coronavirus, the second division team said.
The club made the announcement late on Friday after France suspended all Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 games as part of measures to contain the spread of the virus.
Troyes said one senior player and another from the academy had tested positive.
“The two players were immediately placed in isolation in their homes. The whole club also remains under medical supervision,” Troyes said on their website.
The club did not name the pl ayers but French media reported striker Suk Hyun-jun, a South Korea international, had tested positive for the flulike virus.
Suk had been a doubt for Friday’s scheduled game against Ligue 2 rivals Le Mans because he did not “f eel very well”, French media reported, citing manager Laurent Batlles.
BUNDESLIGA AFFECTED BERLIN: A player from the Bundesliga team Paderborn has become the first footballer in Germany to be diagnosed with coronavirus. Luca Kilian, 20, came down with COVID-19 and all of his teammates are among 45 people put into partial quarantine. “Every person here who came into close contact with Kilian since Mar 5 will be tested,” the club said in a statement.