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Former Chelsea striker Salomon Kalou has been suspended by Hertha Berlin after shaking hands with his teammates and appearing to clear up the coronavirus pandemic with a live ‘crown song’ on social media.
Kalou did not meet social distancing guidelines after clubs in Germany’s two main divisions reported for the Covid-19 tests when the Bundesliga tries to get back up and running.
The Ivory Coast international was also filmed interrupting a teammate’s test while showing it live on Facebook in an act that was rated “absolutely unacceptable” by the German league.
A statement by Hertha read: “Salomon Kalou was tempted by the negative results of his tests to greet the other players in the locker room, sometimes with a handshake, against the clear announcements made by the health authorities.
“With his ‘Corona Song’, Kalou gave the impression that he is unaware of the extent of the ongoing pandemic.
“With this video taken inside the team’s locker room, Kalou broke clear internal rules and displayed behavior, which is not appropriate for this current situation, nor does it reflect Hertha BSC’s code of conduct.
“Therefore, the club made the decision to suspend the player in question from training and matches with immediate effect.”
General manager Michael Preetz added: “With his video, Salomon Kalou has not only done much harm to Hertha BSC, but has also created the impression that individual players are not taking the coronavirus issue seriously, at a time of great discussion about the resumption of football and the role of professional play. “
In a statement on the club’s official website, Kalou apologized for his actions.
The 34-year-old man, who spent six seasons at Stamford Bridge, said: “I am sorry to give the impression that I am not taking the coronavirus seriously. I want to apologize for this.”
“The reality is exactly the opposite, because I am really concerned about the people of Africa, because the health systems are not as good there as they are in Germany.”
“I didn’t really think about it, and I was excited that my tests came back negative.”
“I would also like to apologize to everyone who appeared in the video that they did not know was broadcasting live and that they did not want to bring this situation.”
A statement from the DFL, the German league body, added: “The images of Salomon Kalou from the Hertha BSC dressing room are absolutely unacceptable.”
“There can be no tolerance for this, also with respect to the players and clubs that adhere to the guidelines because they have understood the gravity of the situation.”
Ten individuals connected to clubs in the two main divisions were found to be Covid-19 positive during the first round of testing.
A decision is expected on whether DFL plans to resume group training will meet with government approval on Wednesday, and now the Bundesliga is not likely to resume until May 16 at the latest.
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