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Three members of FC Colonia tested positive for the new coronavirus and began a period of quarantine, the Bundesliga club announced on Friday, in what could become an obstacle to an imminent resumption of the German soccer championship.
“All members of the FC Colonia team and coaching staff were checked on Thursday at covid-19. Three people tested positive, despite being asymptomatic, “the club said in a statement.
The club “will not confirm the names” of those infected to “respect the privacy of those affected,” although according to the Bild newspaper they were two footballers and a physical trainer. In this cast, Colombian Jhon Córdoba is a member.
The Chocoano footballer himself, in a talk with Blu Radio, indicated that he has not presented any symptoms.
“After an assessment of the cases by the competent health authorities, these three people have been quarantined for 14 days at their homes,” the club said in its statement.
Despite the detection of these positives, the Colony announced that it will continue with the training planned with the aim of resuming the season, “according to the hygiene and infection control measures implemented since April 6 within the group” , which will have to undergo new controls, says the club.
“The health and privacy of the players and the coaching staff take precedence over the rest. The foregoing measures, as well as the regular testing strategy, have shown that we can now react with individual solutions, “said FC Cologne director Horst Heldt, quoted in the statement.
“We are convinced that our protocol allows players to practice their profession with the best possible protection against infection,” said Tim Meyer, head of the German Football League (DFL) medical group.
This body announced on Wednesday that the Bundesliga clubs had begun testing their players and coaches in order to resume the championship on May 9, although it had previously to receive authorization from the country’s government.
If this permit is not received in the remainder of the week, the return of the Bundesliga could not take place before May 16.
Borussia Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke warned this week that the Bundesliga could “go down” if Angela Merkel’s German government does not authorize the resumption of the championship.
Pending government permission
“It is nothing more and nothing less than saving football,” said Watzke about the financial health of German clubs, which would stop entering about 300 million euros if the tournament does not come to an end.
The German championship was suspended on March 13 as a result of the new coronavirus pandemic.
According to the last balance on Saturday, Germany had 159,119 infected with covid-19, which has caused 6,288 deaths in the country.
The Bundesliga seemed the closest European championship to being able to resume to finish the season between mid-May and the end of June, in stadiums without an audience and scrupulously respecting hygiene and social distancing measures, in addition to regular controls on the players.
On the contrary that in France or the Netherlands, where the soccer authorities decreed the definitive cancellation of the championships, although with different solutions, since while in Ligue 1 the title was given to Paris SG, in Holland the champion was declared vacant.
In Spain and England it is a matter of rushing to resume the championship, although no dates have been set yet, while in Italy, the clubs want to resume the competition, but the government has banned all collective training until May 18.
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