Lisbon (AFP)
At least eight cases of footballers infected with the new coronavirus have been reported since this weekend among the staff of four Portuguese clubs in the 1st division, including defending champion Benfica, who are preparing to resume the championship in late May behind closed doors.
Benfica announced Sunday evening that Portuguese attacking midfielder David Tavares tested positive on Friday. The player is asymptomatic and quarantined, said the Lisbon club.
The day before, Vitoria Guimaraes confirmed the detection of three cases. Moreirense has since reported another case and, according to the Lusa news agency, three players and two members of Famalicao management have also been infected.
A first case was detected at the end of April, in the under 23s of the Lisbon club of Belenenses.
The Portuguese government announced on April 30 that the Portuguese first division championship was allowed to resume from the last weekend in May, behind closed doors and subject to the approval of a health protocol.
When the competition was suspended on March 12 due to the coronavirus pandemic, FC Porto was at the top of the standings with a point ahead of Benfica.
The Portuguese Football League and Federation, which have still not confirmed the date of the resumption, announced Sunday evening the conditions imposed by the Directorate General of Health (DGS) so that the last ten days of the competition can be hold on.
Footballers should in particular limit their social interactions to those close to them and to club staff. After the resumption of competition, they must be tested twice a week.
The matches must be played "in as few stadiums as possible" and their organization must not involve gatherings of more than ten people.
At least three FC Porto players reacted on social networks by being critical of the rules imposed and several editorialists expressed doubts about the merits of a resumption of the championship.
The president of the Portuguese football union, Joaquim Evangelista, was reassuring. "This is not the time to be alarmist. We are in a period of deconfinement and we must expect to have positive cases in society and in football in particular," he said.
© 2020 AFP