Forced quarantine: what is known about the outbreak of COVID-19 in the Ukrainian FC Karpaty

"The infected are under the control of physicians"

Ukrainian football championship resumed on May 30. However, before the tournament started, one of the matches - between the Lviv “Carpathians” and “Mariupol” - had to be postponed indefinitely due to the positive tests for coronavirus in the camp of Lviv residents.

This situation has not become a precedent. For example, in early May, due to the discovery of COVID-19, the game of the second Bundesliga between Dynamo and Hanover-96 was postponed. Also in May, two matches of the championship of Belarus were postponed due to suspected coronavirus among several players.

However, the spread of the disease in the "Carpathians" has taken on a serious scale. As early as May 30, the club reported the presence of the virus "among individual players and among staff", and after repeated testing it turned out that COVID-19 in the camp of Lviv more than 20 people were infected.

The club did not name the exact number of cases, saying only that "a little less than half" of positive results were obtained from the laboratory (65 people completed the study). The Ukrainian media reported at least 26 cases in the "Carpathians" (11 players and 15 employees), the press service of the UPL announced 25 positive tests.

“According to the results of repeated PCR tests of the team, maintenance staff and club employees, we have to ascertain an outbreak of COVID-19 disease ... All infected people are familiar with the results and are isolated under medical supervision,” the statement on the Carpathians website said.

According to the protocol, the club notified the country's football authorities about the outbreak of coronavirus and sent the team to quarantine for two weeks. Canceled any workouts. At the same time, the citizens of Lviv urged not to stop the UPL.

“We also appeal to all clubs of Ukraine without exception - take the most responsible attitude to testing players, coaches and staff. No one is safe from the risk of infection, ”the statement reads.

The UPL announced the postponement of the next two matches of the Carpathians for an indefinite period. On June 7, Lviv residents were to meet with Vorskla, and on the 13th with Dnepr-1. At the same time, the secretary of the sports and medical committee of the Ukrainian Football Association, Maxim Betsko, said that the sick Karpat football players would not return soon. According to him, they should "completely get out of the disease" and undergo rehabilitation.

“It will not be two weeks ... A person who has become infected is able to infect a large number of people around him. This is a feature of this virus. It was not possible to avoid distribution within the team by the measures that were applied. But you can’t say that someone in the "Carpathians" is to blame for this, "said Betsko.

In turn, the executive director of UPL Evgeny Dikiy assured that there is no reason to talk about a possible breakdown of the season in connection with what happened in the "Carpathians".

At the same time, the situation in the football club may affect the timing of the weakening of quarantine measures throughout the region. This was stated by the deputy head of the Lviv Regional State Administration Taras Gren.

“We do not exclude that if the incidence rate (the number of new diseases per 100 thousand people per week. - RT ) is more than 12 units, we will not weaken quarantine measures on Friday. Responsibility for certain things that happen inside the club is the responsibility of managers. On the other hand, we are anxious that so many players are infected, ”the Tribuna official quoted him as saying.

“Forced to cancel the entire training process”

This season, UPL “Karpaty” are fighting for survival. According to the results of the first part of the national championship, they took last place, gaining only 13 points, and continued to play in the playoffs for the right to remain in the elite.

However, the outbreak of COVID-19 in the team may prevent Lviv from maintaining a place in the UPL. The football season in Ukraine is being played out in a very short time, and therefore it is unclear on what dates the three matches of the Carpathians will be rescheduled. The club announced their desire to bring the championship to the end with any roster.

“We are forced to cancel the entire training process. Now we can’t continue the championship, despite our great desire to do so. As soon as the two-week quarantine is over, we still plan to finish the game, ”quotes the words of Karpat executive director Rostislav Yashchishin footballua.tv.

The management of Mariupol has already proposed to postpone the match with the Carpathians to July 1 and hold it in Mariupol. According to the calendar, there should be a second game between the teams three days later.

Earlier, co-owner of the Carpathians Oleg Smaliychuk said that the team agrees to a technical defeat from Mariupol, but called not to stop the championship.

“We created our story only on football fields. I want to remind the authors of conspiracy theories, lovers to dig in dirty underpants and agreements in the offices: We are “Karpaty”. We will not allow anyone to defame the image of our club, ”Smaliychuk wrote on Facebook.

“No one expected there could be so many sick people.”

It is not reported who exactly became infected with a coronavirus in the Karpat camp. The name of only one patient is known. This is the defender Vladislav Dubinchak. He posted a post on social networks in which he talked about passing a positive test.

“My team and I previously passed the test twice: the first was negative, the second - positive. That is why it was decided to take the test again to understand that I really have a virus, because there are absolutely no symptoms. I adhered to all the necessary preventive measures, ”Dubinchak wrote on Instagram.

In turn, the midfielder of Antwerp Yegor Nazarina, who played for the Lviv club on a loan basis in the 2019/20 season, emphasized that “in the global plan” no one has symptoms in the Carpathians.

“The guys feel good, but there is a virus. There is nothing you can do about it. We were told that we were leaving for two-week quarantine. There will be no training. I think healthy guys will keep themselves fit, because two weeks is a decent time, and you need to prepare for the continuation of the championship, ”Nazarina emphasized.

Karpat head coach Roman Sanzhar, continuing the topic, complained that at the moment the team has no training process, including an individual one.

“Everyone is shocked by this data, because no one expected that there could be so many (sick. - RT) ... We will do everything to get out of this situation as soon as possible and continue the championship. While the team is not training at all, it is isolated, ”Sanjar said in the NEWS Football program.

Among the players, the Belarusian midfielder Kirill Kirilenko was more fortunate than the others. On June 1, his contract with the Ukrainian club expired, and he managed to return to Minsk. According to him, after the resumption of the training process in the team, everyone was engaged calmly and did not feel unwell. Kirilenko also emphasized that in May, the Karpat football players underwent testing for coronavirus twice, and all the results were negative.

“I can’t even imagine how the guys could get infected. Moreover, no one had any signs of illness, everyone trained calmly, without any suspicion. No one complained, no one was ill, ”the Tribuna footballer quotes.