Santander League: Without protocol or alternative: The League trembles before a possible positive | LaLiga Santander 2019

The chain of possible infections by the coronavirus will make the continuation of the remaining 11 days of competition unfeasible.

Let us imagine, as a mere non-real example, the following case: a footballer from the Royal Society tests positive for coronavirus today. Immediately, all his teammates (players, coaches, assistants, club staff …) would be placed in preventive quarantine. Also, of course, the Eibar players and coaches he faced on Tuesday. And those of the Bara, rival last Saturday. And even if the focus of the contagion were not entirely clear, the Mirands against whom he played last Wednesday. A Mirands who, in turn, on Sunday went to play Alcorcn. Not to mention the referees, line judges, journalists or party directors who were present in one of those parties and later in others.

The chain effect, seen remains, would be immense, especially in a sport like football (also basketball or handball) in which the physical contact between athletes is intense and continuous. In Spain it has not happened yet, at least among professionals, but the question is pertinent: What would happen if a footballer were infected by coronavirus? The League will have to be stopped, without a doubt, they coincide from two different First Division clubs.

In top-tier European football, the only positive known so far is that of Timo Hubers, player of Hannover 96, of the Second German. His club, however, explained yesterday that the contagion occurred on Saturday night in his spare time and that, since then and as a preventive measure when learning a positive in his personal environment, he has not had contact with anyone from the club, for what the Hannover 96 has not had to take measures with the rest of its employees. In cycling, however, infection by several riders first and cyclists later on the UAE Tour forced quarantine at a multi-team Abu Dhabi hotel for two weeks.

“Like the rest of mortals”

Therefore, there is concern among clubs and their athletes for a situation that is unprecedented. Like the rest of companies and citizens, they try to adapt against the clock to the scenario generated by the expansion of the Covid-19. Their weapons are the same as the rest of the world. If we have a suspicion of a positive, we do not have the capacity to carry out internal analyzes, we must notify the competent health authority so that, if the circumstances arise, they go to the athlete's home to carry out the analysis or to do what they deem necessary . In this we are like the rest of mortals, they explain.

There are no specific guidelines. We have spoken with our delegates, who are those who visit the dressing rooms throughout Spain, so that they are attentive to whether any footballer has symptoms of being infected. The clubs are also having meetings with the players, explaining the protocols, which in the end are similar for everyone. There is no special protocol in the case of football clubs, explains Geni Martnez, head of health for the AFE union.

The suspension of the League in First and Second could be effective, without the need for any positive, this morning as a preventive measure, in a meeting that will be held at 12:00 at the headquarters of the RFEF in Las Rozas. Yesterday, matches of non-professional categories were suspended for at least two weeks. The RFEF is also in favor of suspending the competition in the men's First and Second, but those categories depend on LaLiga, reluctant to suspend matches unless the health authorities urge it to do so, something that has not happened at the moment.

Deadline, June 12

The AFE union has already requested that competition and training be halted in all male and female categories to safeguard health. The non-health risk of this measure is that there is no certainty of how long this phase of the crisis can last. In other words: if one or two days had to be postponed, reassigning them on the calendar would be feasible. But if there are three, four, five … The limit, as of today, is set by the Euro Cup, which starts on June 12.

If due to lack of time league games had to be canceled, the economic impact for the clubs would be immense, since in some of them the television rights cover 80% of the budget. If the television stations cannot broadcast the 38 days they bought, they will naturally pay less than expected. And in some soccer circles there is already a fear that this hypothetical scenario will cause them not to collect their contracts when they owe.