Manu Bleda: “This is the strangest season of my entire career”

Until just a few days ago, Hong Kong boasted of being the first country to give the green light to the return of football after controlling the coronavirus epidemic. However, a rebound in the cases forced his Federation to stop the Premier League again. “People who returned from other countries and skipped the quarantine spread the virus again. Now the containment measures are much stricter,” he said from the scene. Manuel Bleda, Spanish striker for the Kitchee.

The Valencian defines this as “the busiest and strangest season of his entire career“Everything started normally, but Hong Kong football was soon affected by the protests that demanded the withdrawal of the extradition bill to China. Then came calm and, suddenly, a health crisis.” three times the competition has been suspended so far this season, “highlights Manuel Bleda, who details the rules that had to be followed during the two weeks that football lasted until the second braking due to coronavirus:” Before Each game we had to fill in a piece of paper asking if you had a fever or any other symptoms. They also took our temperature. In the locker room we went to change six by six and we could not shower. And those who were on the bench had to wear a mask“

Now we just have to wait “and take the greatest possible precautions” “Feeling safe in the middle of a pandemic is very complicated,” said Bleda, who lives the situation in Spain “with concern that all my family and friends are there”: “When it all started I warned, but they didn't take me seriously because the Spanish authorities didn't either. It is something I do not understand and seeing that people die and that the time may come when doctors have to choose who lives and who dies makes me very sad. “The Valencian Kitchee striker appreciates the work of the health personnel and hopes that soon have all the necessary means to fight the virus.

Although there has been a rebound in the cases, Hong Kong is experiencing the health crisis with “relative normality”. “When I arrived in the country in 2016, I saw their customs strange, but I realized that I was the strange one. They have a high level of consciousness and are very cautious: they close everything with the slightest threat, “discovers Bleda, who still enjoys freedom of movement:” At the moment they have not imposed isolation on us, but I prefer to be at home. I train and go running because, although it is not the same as exercising with the equipment, you have to stay in shape“