Wednesday, June 9th 2021
Positive cases also in Sweden
Corona chaos before the start of the Spanish European Championship
Five days before Group E starts in the European Football Championship, the corona cases are increasing in Sweden and Spain. The Scandinavians introduce a six-point plan, the three-time European champions set up a shadow squad. The worries are growing.
The three-time European football champions Spain and their European championship opening opponent Sweden have a corona alarm. Less than a week before the direct duel to start in Group E, both teams have already reported their second Corona case. In Spain, after captain Sergio Busquets, Diego Llorente also tested positive for the virus, the association announced. This means that team training is currently out of the question in the important preparatory phase. And there is growing concern that other players may have become infected. The Swedes announced on Tuesday evening that after Dejan Kulusevski from Juventus Turin, midfielder Mattias Svanberg from FC Bologna had also tested positive for Corona. Both players were isolated according to the hygiene measures. Spain and Sweden are due on Monday (9 p.m. in the ntv.de live ticker) meet in Seville.
The test at Llorente was carried out on Tuesday morning. Spain actually wanted to do its dress rehearsal against Lithuania that day. But after Busquets’ infection became known on Sunday, a U21 selection played against Lithuania instead and won 4-0. “There can be more positive (findings), it is likely that that will happen,” said association boss Luis Rubiales on the sidelines of the game.
Spain builds shadow squads
The news from the Spanish camp should also have startled the European Football Union. UEFA has already drawn up regulations for such cases. If there are one or more positive Corona findings, the game can be played as long as a team can muster 13 players, including a goalkeeper, whose tests were negative. For this purpose, players can also be appointed, for them others have to be deleted from the original roster. If a move is impossible, the UEFA Disciplinary Committee decides. The team that is responsible for the cancellation is rated 0: 3 as a loser.
It’s not that far yet. But with EM co-favorite Spain, the preparation is severely disrupted. Only individual training is currently on the agenda. Coach Luis Enrique has since nominated goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, Rodrigo Moreno, Pablo Fornals, Carlos Soler, Brais Méndez and Raúl Albiol. These professionals are isolated from the team in their own so-called bubble and are ready to join the team. The Spanish federation announced that Enrique will lead the training of the “parallel bubble”. Spanish media reported about other possible player nominations for the shadow squad. So it is quite possible that about half a dozen U21 players could join the professionals who have already moved together.
In the course of the eternal pandemic year, eleven other players in the current Spanish squad tested positive for the corona virus before the current corona cases. While the Spanish Olympians were vaccinated in the run-up to the upcoming Games in Tokyo last week, the Spanish authorities have not given the national soccer players a special role.
Sweden’s six point plan
In the case of the Swedes, both cases were determined on Tuesday. Kulusevski tested positive after complaining of cold symptoms. He therefore did not travel with the final preparation in Gothenburg, but stayed in Stockholm and is there in isolation in accordance with the hygiene measures. After the opening training in Gothenburg it turned out that Svanberg is also positive. He was then isolated in the team hotel.
After the Corona cases in the immediate preparation, Sweden tightened the measures around the national team with RB Leipzig midfield star Emil Forsberg. Rapid tests are to be carried out on the players every day and the number of PCR tests is to be increased. Tactical and other meetings with the team are carried out in small groups in the largest possible space. The six-point plan, which was approved by those responsible for the national team and the medical department at an emergency meeting, also provides that the players should only be treated for a limited time and that this should be done outdoors as far as possible.
Planned joint activities indoors have been canceled, and joint bus trips have been further reduced. In addition, the number of players in the sports hall or other facilities remains reduced. In addition to Spain and Sweden, Poland and Slovakia also play in Group E.
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