Blues sign Mendy
Ibrahimovic tests ‘positive’ for virus
MILAN, Sept 24, (AP): Zlatan Ibrahimović tested positive for the coronavirus on Thursday, and he reacted to the news as only he can.
The AC Milan striker said he was positive a day after testing negative f o r COVID19.
“I tested negative to covid yesterday and positive today. No symptoms what so ever . Covid had the courage to challenge me. Bad idea,” Ibrahimović wrote on Twitter.
Ibrahimović missed Milan’s Europa League match against Norwegian club Bodø/Glimt on Thursday .
All Milan players underwent a second round of testing on Wednesday after defender Léo Duarte was found to be positive for COVID-19 following tests the previous day.
“Zlatan Ibrahimović has tested positive for COVID-19 following a second round of swab tests ahead of tonight’s game against Bodø/Glimt,” Milan said in a statement. “The club
SOCCER
has informed the relevant authorities and the player has been promptly placed in quarantine at home. All other team members and staff have tested negative.”
The 38-year-old Ibrahimović has scored three goals in Milan’s first two matches this season, in the Europa League and Serie A.
The Swedish forward set up an online fundraiser in March to help hospitals at the center of the coronavirus outbreak in Italy. He launched it with a video message which he ended by saying: “And remember, if the virus don’t go to Zlatan, Zlatan goes to the virus.”
❑ ❑ ❑ Chelsea have signed goalkeeper Édouard Mendy to take their summer transfer window spending over $280 million, putting the future starting position of Kepa Arrizabalaga in doubt.
The 28-year-old Mendy has joined from French side Rennes, the club said Thursday, for a reported fee of 22 million pounds ($27.75 million) on a five-year contract.
Kepa became the world’s most expensive goalkeeper when he was signed by Chelsea in 2018 for 80 million euros (then $93 million). But his errors in games have become increasingly costly for Chelsea – the latest in a 2-0 loss to Liverpool in the second match of the Premier League season on Sunday.
UEFA detailed a program of national team games in 2021 on Thursday to catch up on the schedule disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.
Europe’s 55 national teams will play three games instead of two in each of March and September, with nearly all in their 2022 World Cup qualification groups.