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“The WAC no longer has the minimum number of 16 healthy players (14 from the field plus two goalkeepers),” as the league announced Friday afternoon. Due to the tight schedule in the coming weeks, it is likely that the match can only be added in 2021.
Wolfsberg had already reported eight positive cases of coronavirus on Wednesday, a day before the Europa League guest appearance in Zagreb, after mandatory UEFA testing. According to the club, both players and coaches were affected. The WAC did not give names for data protection reasons. Among Croats, the number of players who tested positive had risen to nine on Thursday. Coach Zoran Mamic and other supervisors were also affected.
Supposedly 18 new CoV cases in the WAC
The WAC, which went completely unnoticed in terms of the corona virus until this week, secured the first postponement of the game in the Bundesliga. The league did not announce any details in its short press release, according to information from the “Kleine Zeitung” (online edition), another 18 cases of CoV were discovered when the Wolfsbergers were tested again after the appearance of EL. Ferdinand Feldhofer had already expressed in Zagreb the fear that his team would not be able to compete on Sunday.
“That is, of course, a shock to us. So far we have not had a single case, and now the virus is hitting us hard. Nobody can imagine what has happened to us in the last two days, “said the WAC coach on Friday. Even before the Zagreb match, he had given each player the option to decide if they wanted to play. “I said that anyone who feels mentally or physically incapable should tell me and I will not cheat them. I would have accepted not being able to compete. “
“Health is paramount”
In the Bundesliga, a match squad must include at least 16 healthy players: 14 outfield players and two goalkeepers. Otherwise, the club in question can request a postponement based on the coronavirus prevention concept. As the league noted, this regulation has now been used. Such a group of infections had not yet occurred in professional football in Austria. In ice hockey, ICE Hockey League games had to be postponed recently because several teams were found to have some coronavirus infections.
Feldhofer did not want to deny that the WAC is now talking about a cluster. “There may be more positive cases to follow,” he said. “Now it is important to me that all those affected have the most harmless course of the disease and that they are completely healthy again. Of course, sports take a backseat these days. Health is paramount. “
Dense game plan becomes a problem
Opponent Sturm fully understood the game cancellation. “We knew we had to be flexible this season. Health comes first and we wish everyone affected a speedy recovery and all the best, ”Sturm CEO Sport Andreas Schicker said in a statement.
The Bundesliga said that the seventh round game will probably only be rescheduled in 2021 due to the tight schedule. In addition to the league and the European Cup, the WAC also participates in the Uniqa-ÖFB-Cup. At least the international break comes against the Wolfsbergs. The next game is the away game at Altach on November 21.
