The decisive Deportivo-Fuenlabrada of the last day of the Smartbank League is suspended because six footballers of the Madrid team tested positive in the last hours for COVID-19. The club doctor had already stayed in Madrid and another of the footballers, the only one who showed symptoms of suffering the disease, so that up to seven players are infected. Nor did two staff members travel.
In this situation, the Xunta made two express tests to the staff this morning and, in them, six of its members tested positive before the game. In the tests that the entire expedition passed on Saturday, there were “inconclusive results” in several cases (as happened with Vinicus a few weeks ago), so they were repeated on Sunday with the same result in common cases and in different ones. The Fuenlabrada, according to club sources, decided that those who had not tested negative would not travel despite being “isolated cases without epidemiological traceability.” Once the news was known, LaLiga and the Federation, with the mediation of the CSD, had to make a decision in this regard, since the employers wanted to suspend the entire day and the RFEF intended that all the matches be played, including this one by having Sandoval 14 footballers available. In the end, the agreement was adopted to play the whole day except for this match. Even the meeting of Elche, who was the last opponent of Fuenlabrada.
The Deportivo-Fuenlabrada that had to be played at Riazor was crucial for promotion and permanence. Deportivo needed to win, but it also depended on other results to save itself. He will stay in Second if he wins and two of his three rivals do not win: Numancia, Lugo and Albacete. If it ties it saves if Numancia does not win and Lugo and Albacete lose. Fuenlabrada was enough a point to get into the playoff, with two teams, Elche and Rayo, in expectation. Now everything changes and the mess to solve is tremendous since the Playoff began next Thursday and you have to see the contacts that all those infected players have had, since they have played every three days and could have been infected for a long time. The idea, not yet confirmed, is that the Depor-Fuenlabrada will be played within ten days, if footballers pass two negative PCRs, and delay the Playoff to the first week of August. Meanwhile, several of the clubs affected by the postponement of the Riazor match, who forced them to stop playing, could go to court to ask for damages for possible adulteration of the championship.
The Fuenlabrada expedition will sleep this Monday in Coruña and will only return to Madrid on a charter flight when considered by the health authorities. The entire expedition dined in individual rooms at the Hotel Finisterre. The six footballers, asymptomatic, who tested positive are isolated, and either they must remain in quarantine in the city or return to Madrid by bus when the Xunta considers it appropriate according to health recommendations.
Joint communiqué of LaLiga and the RFEF
Given the detection, through the application of anti-COVID-19 health protocols and controls of LaLiga, of positive cases in CF Fuenlabrada, RFEF and LaLiga within the framework of the Monitoring Commission and with the presence of the CSD, They have mutually agreed to postpone the RC Deportivo – CF Fuenlabrada meeting due to force majeure.
Likewise, the Commission has also mutually agreed to the dispute of the other matches of Day 42 understanding that this is the solution that best protects the health of footballers and the overall integrity of the competition.