David Aganzo, president of the AFE: “We will do everything possible so that it is not played”

• Coronavirus.
  

  Last minute
  

In the midst of the psychosis that the sport lives in the face of the continuous suspensions of the competitions due to the crisis caused by the coronavirus, all in a momentous moment of the season, the footballers are increasingly angry. The First and Second Division players do not understand the decision of The league to keep the matches behind closed doors despite the suspension of all non-professional football.

In the front row of that speech is David Aganzo, former player and current president of the Association of Spanish Soccer Players (AFE). Throughout this week, the union has been totally against the celebration of matches this coming weekend, and although so far it has succeeded for Second B and Third Division, it has not been so with the two major leagues in Spain. This Thursday will face LaLiga and RFEF to try a paralyzation whose reasons explains in THE WORLD.

Has the situation changed somewhat since LaLiga's announcement to play the games of the next two weeks behind closed doors?

The situation has not changed. Players are very concerned that the coronavirus epidemic is on the rise. We have colleagues in Italy who are having a hard time. We had two matches between Italian and Spanish teams in the Europa League and they have finally been suspended. And we believe that not enough is being done here. We demand more measures to guarantee the safety of soccer players because their health is the most important thing.

Arsenal has quarantined the entire squad following a positive from the president of Olympiakos, their rival in the Europa League, and in Germany, a Second Division footballer suffers from the disease and plans on the country the possibility of suspending the championship .

Some may think they are exaggerated measures, but every precaution taken is fine. The situation is getting worse and we need to take measures to prevent it from happening.

Are you considering the possibility, when the time comes, to go on strike if the footballers continue to demand the suspension and LaLiga continues to insist on playing matches behind closed doors?

We will continue working so that measures are taken to guarantee the safety of the players. Beyond that, we hope that it will be resolved long before that situation. That measures be taken as they are doing in other countries that are in a similar moment with the epidemic and that have suspended competitions, such as Italy. I think we are not going to have to go into that strike situation. And also, it is not a situation that affects only the First and Second Division, it also affects all categories of Spanish football.

This Thursday they will meet with the Federation and LaLiga to discuss the suspension or not of the next days of the First and Second championships. What is the AFE going to put on the table?

During these days we had already sent letters to LaLiga, the RFEF and the Higher Sports Council. Our main priority is that they continue to take measures to guarantee the safety of the players and we will do everything possible so that it is not played this weekend.

“What happens? That we are immune? », Complained the Madridista Carvajal. Do you think that the health of the players is being underestimated by valuing only the celebration behind closed doors and not the suspension?

It is not just about playing a game behind closed doors without an audience. We are talking about journeys from one city to another, travel, contact with people who are not from the club during all this process … If a fan cannot attend a soccer field, that game cannot be played either. They are just as important as the rest of the people. We understand LaLiga in all this situation, and there are no clauses to refuse to play, but the soccer players are concerned about their health.