Testing times /La Liga confirms five players have virus but still plans to resume
The Spanish league will not change plans to resume competing after five players from clubs in the first and second divisions tested positive for Covid-19, writes Tales Azzoni.
La Liga confirmed the positive tests yesterday but said it was not going to alter the practice protocol that got underway last week. Players from most clubs began individual training sessions on Friday after nearly two months of confinement because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The league said it will “continue to apply the back-totraining protocol” that was approved by government authorities to “guarantee the maximum safety of all players, coaches and club employees.”
La Liga said it has “warned” everyone to keep following health safety measures suggested by authorities so the numbers of infected players “remain very low.”
The five players who tested positive for Covid-19 will remain sidelined until they fully recover. They are all without symptoms and recovering from the disease, according to the league. They will be allowed to resume practising after testing negative in two consecutive tests.
All other players tested negative, the league said. Players, coaches and club staff involved in training sessions are being tested daily. The league did not name the players who tested positive and didn’t disclose their clubs. Spanish media said three players were from first division clubs, including Atletico Madrid defender Renan Lodi.
None of the players who tested positive reportedly plays for Barcelona or Real Madrid.
Barcelona were among the first teams to resume training on Friday. Real Madrid are expected to be back in action today.
The league said the players who tested positive must remain in quarantine and continue to train individually at home.
The league wants a total training period of about a month before it can restart and hopes to resume sometime in June with games without fans.