Atleti's crossroads in the Champions League: 6 casualties, 8 signings …

COVID-19 has truncated Atlético Femenino's plans for the historic Champions League quarter-finals against Barça. After ten days of quarantine when five positives were detected for coronavirus in the rojiblanco changing room, the team returned to training last Monday, with just five days to prepare the duel against the Catalans, current runners-up in Europe. The situation is at least complicated for the Atleti coach, Dani González. To the five casualties from COVID-19 is added the absence due to sanction of the attacker Ludmila and up to eight new signings this summer (Pauline Peyraud, Merel van Dongen, Hedvig Lindahl, Alia Guagni, Turid Knaak, Grace Kazadi, Jade Moore and Emelyne Laurent).

Without a doubt, it will be difficult to guess the Madrid coach's plans for Friday's game (6:00 p.m.) in San Mamés. A fact that for the Barça players is even an “advantage” for the Madrid women, as indicated by the Barcelona goalkeeper, Sandra Paños, at the press conference prior to the European Classic. For its part, Dani González will have to make several discards between his signings, since UEFA only allows six new additions to be registered on the lists. As a requirement, the European body indicates that: “The six players may have been enlisted by another club in a previous round, but only a maximum of three of them are allowed to have played for one of the other quarter-finalists.” At first, Neither could midfielder Jade Moore, whose signing was made official this Tuesday.

On the other hand, it should be noted that the players have undergone several PCR tests during these weeks. As AS has learned, UEFA has carried out up to three tests this week on the entire team which, except for the five cases that are isolated, have been negative for all its members. All this after having fulfilled a strict quarantine, in which they trained by video call together. It should also be remembered that the mattress box was the first began its preseason in the women's league, starting training on July 6. The red-and-white squad, who could train individually and voluntarily at the Atleti facilities since June 4, had been unemployed since mid-March, at which time COVID-19 broke into our country with force.

During the preseason a friendly was held against Santa Teresa, team recently promoted to the First Iberdrola, which was not reported by the club. Except for this unofficial clash, the Madrid team has not held any friendly. On the horizon is the Champions League, with one of the most important matches in the history of this women's section that, for the first time, aspires to be a semi-finalist in the top European competition.