La Liga, Spanish FA agree training restart protocol
MADRID: La Liga and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) have agreed a return to training protocol for professional players in the country after the coronavirus outbreak, the Spanish National Sports Council (CSD) announced on Monday.
Spain’s top division has been suspended since March 12 due to the COVID-19 outbreak which has so far killed more than 20,800 people, the third-highest number of deaths in the world after the United States and Italy.
“This decision remains controlled by the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic and by the decisions adopted by the Ministry of Health,” the CSD said in a statement.
La Liga clubs will train again “when health conditions allow it, and by following strict health protocols,” it added.
According to local media reports La Liga has already outlined a proposition which includes testing players as well as a progression from individual training to sessions with whole squads.
League chief Javier Tebas last week said play could restart as early as next month, although a fortnight extension of the nationwide lockdown until May 9 announced on Saturday appears to have scuppered those plans.
During the weekend’s meeting between La Liga, the RFEF and the CSD, which reportedly took more than eight hours, the trio decided television income from football would be used to save other sports.
“The La Liga presidents and the federation have committed to create a contingency fund of 10 million euros ($10.86 million) to help vulnerable sports, and have invited other entities like the players union to take part,” the CSD’s statement said.
Serie A insisted Monday that they were committed to finishing the season despite reports seven clubs are against a return to action as the coronavirus pandemic continues to afflict Italy.
“The Lega Serie A Council that met today unanimously confirmed its intention to complete the 2019-2020 season, if the government allows it to take place,” Italy’s top flight said in a statement
It added that any resumption will take place “in accordance with regulations laid out by FIFA and UEFA” and the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), and “in compliance with medical protocols to protect the players”.
Brescia, Torino, Sampdoria, Udinese, SPAL, Genoa and Sardinian outfit Cagliari do not want to play because of the “incalculable risk” of restarting, according to reports in Italy. Six of those clubs are situated in the north of Italy which has been hardest hit by a virus which has killed over 24,000 people.
No football has been played in Italy since March 9 with the current lockdown measures in the country extended to May 3. Sports minister Vincenzo Spadafora will meet with FIGC officials midweek, but he warned he was not sure that Serie A teams can even resume training.
“I am not giving any assurances for the start of the championship or training on May 4, if the conditions for the country do not exist beforehand,” Spadafora told Tg2 Post. —AFP