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At 1.30 pm, FC Basel announced on Sunday that the match against FC Zurich in Letzigrund could not take place. At this point, the team is already in Zurich. But it comes out again without dirt under the shoes. The failure is a positive corona test and the instruction from the medical service of the canton of Basel-Stadt that the entire Basel team, including staff, must be quarantined. Therefore, the top Swiss soccer league already has its first virus-related game cancellation on matchday four. One that raises numerous questions.
Why was the game canceled on such short notice?
The player who tested positive, who should not be identified for privacy reasons, trained with the team during the week. On Friday she experienced mild symptoms, so she got tested. The lab report came in Sunday morning and the result was positive. The cantonal medical service decided shortly before noon that the entire FC Basel first team, including the squad, should be quarantined because the player had contact with many of his teammates during the contagious phase. The league and FC Zurich were then informed. At 1:30 p.m., FCB officially announced the news.
What was different than before the FCB game in St. Gallen?
On July 23, 2020, FCB competed in St. Gallen, although one player tested positive in advance. Raoul Petretta, like Xherdan Shaqiri last week, was only weakly positive. It had been months since he was infected and he was not contagious. No one had to be quarantined and the game could be played as planned.
How long does FC Basel have to be in quarantine now?
10 days. In its message, the FCB writes that the quarantine time has not yet been set. But the canton doctor Thomas Steffen confirmed to this newspaper that there is no exception for the FCB in this case. Not even if all the players tested negative in the meantime. “The quarantine lasts ten days,” says Steffen. It is currently being clarified who is not allowed to have any contact with the outside world in the next few days. These are all players who had “close contact” with the player who tested positive. So without a mask and at a safe distance. A large part of the first team and also part of the staff are affected and therefore have to go into quarantine. This only ends on October 28. By then, training operations will also be seriously affected.
Can FCB play next weekend?
No. FCB’s home game against Lausanne next Sunday will probably be postponed. This is what the concept of league protection provides. It says: If more than six players on a team are in quarantine, the club can submit the corresponding request for postponement to the league. If, like yesterday, the entire computer is in quarantine, this application is not necessary. Then the game will move directly. Since the league currently has no deadline, there is almost no reason to insist on an implementation. In July it was different. At that point, the crown-weakened FCZ had to compete with a strengthened U21 in Basel in order to play the season to the end.
What does the cancellation mean for the Super League?
The league regrets the cancellation of the game related to the crown. In fact, she saw herself on the right track, as the protection concepts had worked well so far. The direct consequences of canceling the game are initially clear. League officials only need to find two replacement dates for the two FCB games against Zurich and Lausanne. Given that FCB no longer plays in Europe and there is a four-week winter break in December / January, that shouldn’t be a problem yet. But with each new corona case and quarantined equipment, it gets more complicated. The rejection acts as a warning of how fragile the structure is despite all the concepts of protection.
Does FC Basel have a particular crown problem?
Not necessarily. FCB already has the seventh positive crown case and is responsible for the cancellation of the first game. But the club carries out its extensive protection and hygiene measures more rigorously than many other clubs. Regular voluntary testing of the entire team is just as important as meticulous compliance with the mask requirement at the stadium. The club can only monitor what the players do in their private lives to a limited extent. Certainly, one or the other candidate has room for improvement in terms of precautionary measures. But players who spend their holidays abroad and interact with people are not only found at FCB.
What happens now with the fans in the stadiums?
Regardless of the cancellation of the game in Zurich, the canton of Bern banned major events again yesterday. This means that only 1000 spectators are allowed at YB, SC Bern, SCL Tigers and EHC Biel home games. Other cantons have not yet done the same. But it is quite possible that the opening of stadiums to fans will also be reversed elsewhere if the number of infections continues to rise sharply.
