Negative Covid-19 results relief for Atletico

Atletico Madrid breathed a collective sigh of relief on Monday after further coronavirus tests on their players and staff all turned out negative, allowing the team to travel to Portugal on Tuesday for their Champions League quarterfinal against Leipzig.

Tests at the weekend had revealed two coronavirus cases at the club, which Atletico confirmed on Monday to be players Angel Correa and Sime Vrsaljko.

Both players are asymptomatic and will remain isolated at home. The rest of the squad will return to training in the Spanish capital on Monday afternoon before flying to Lisbon on Tuesday for Thursday’s game against Leipzig.

“The first team and members of the coaching staff underwent new PCR tests yesterday, the result of which has been negative in all of them,” Atletico announced on Monday.

“As a result, 21 first-team footballers plus academy players Alex Dos Santos, Manu Sanchez, Riquelme and Toni Moya will travel to the Portuguese capital tomorrow to gather for the Champions League quarterfinal.”

The club said the case of Vrsaljko “is considered resolved by the health authorities as he generated antibodies several months ago.”

Atletico added that “tests were also performed on relatives living with the two positive cases, all of which were also negative.”

The timetable has had to be adjusted but the team will stay in the same hotel in Lisbon, where all the Champions League’s remaining games are taking place in a compressed format without fans.

Uefa had stated Atletico would have to have a minimum of 13 players available, including one goalkeeper, to fulfil the fixture, amid fears that more positive cases could emerge.

A planned training session on Monday morning was called off, with all players and staff instructed to stay at home.

The “final eight” format begins with Atalanta against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, with the final scheduled for August 23.

Uefa protocol for the tournament states all clubs must undertake testing between 10 and 14 days before their first game in Portugal, as well as another round of tests before leaving their home country.

Final tests are then completed the day before kick-off, which will be replicated for all further fixtures in the competition.

Madrid were knocked out of the Champions League by Manchester City on Friday.

Sevilla will face English club Wolves in the quarterfinals in Germany on Tuesday.