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Barajas neighborhood in the north of the city. Roads, shopping centers, huge office buildings, Atlético de Madrid’s Wanda Metropolitano Stadium, Barajas airport, Alfredo di Stefano Stadium in the Real Madrid training center, where Saturday’s game takes place. In the streets you only meet people drop by drop. And if they do, they are all masked. The huge Juan Carlos Park is open. Many runners and cyclists are away from home.
That is the reality of the environment in which the game takes place today. Other than the masks and the many closed restaurants, there is little to suggest the conditions in the southernmost parts of the city, which have been isolated from the outside world for weeks. You are only allowed in and out for good reason. The entrances are controlled. Special army units disinfect markets and train stations with truck-mounted cannons. The number of guests in restaurants has been cut in half. Last admission is at ten o’clock. Work ends at eleven. It is no longer allowed to stand on the bars. Many closed for that. “And many will not survive,” complains an innkeeper.
Difficult conditions in Madrid
The massive restrictions imposed by the Spanish socialist central government are not well received by the conservative regional government in Madrid. He filed an objection in court and received justice. Barriers to Madrid and nine other municipalities in the area were raised again. But the central government imposed a state of emergency in Madrid and can still enforce the closure of the capital. The state of emergency should initially apply for two weeks. “We have to take this pandemic seriously. But I have the feeling that this is not the case for some politicians, ”says the president of the Spanish government, Pedro Sánchez. And he refers to the figures: The 14-day incidence, that is, the number of cases per 100,000 inhabitants, was always above 600 in the southern neighborhoods. For comparison: in Spain it is around 250, which is the highest figure in the EU.
The Spanish Minister of Health, Salvador Illa, explains the state of emergency as follows: “The regional government has decided not to do anything. Only in Madrid 63 people died last week. 3,361 patients are being treated in hospitals in the capital region, 498 are fighting for their lives in intensive care units. We can play with our thumbs and do nothing or we can stop the virus. ”Terrifying numbers and one wonders if one should and can focus on soccer in this environment.
“I hope the players can put that aside,” says Sevilla star Ivan Rakitic, who has never played in Madrid since Corona’s outbreak. “In our league, the precautionary measures are extremely strict. The cabins can only be used during rest. For exactly eight minutes. Before and after the game you have six minutes to go from the car to the field and back. But you have to keep it in mind: it’s a great game against Spain in Spain. A player should be able to log out. “
In any case, that wasn’t a big problem on the team, says goalkeeper Jonas Omlin. “We trust that the association and UEFA will do everything possible to value us. I think the concept of security is very well listed by those who decided that. As long as we meet the conditions, we should go through Madrid without major complications. “
La Roja doesn’t want to fly
Remo Freuler is a bit more critical: “Okay, we are traveling in small groups and we will have practically no contact with the local people.” To illustrate: the bus driver, for example, must be permanently separated from his passengers by glass or a curtain. “It certainly would have been possible to play this game in a different location if it had been so bad in Madrid,” says Freuler. And it expresses what many think.
But only: Real plays against Stefano in the Stadium as long as fans are not allowed. And, of course, the Spanish team does not want to fly for a home game. La Furia Roja is based in the Ciudad del Fútbol and also trains there, at the association’s training center, which is located in Las Rozas. Also in the north of the city, also in the outskirts, just in the east instead of the west, where Barajas is. Each flight is an additional risk that can be eliminated. A bit of selfishness is also involved in choosing the venue. What every organizer thinks. Corona or Covid-19.
