Shanghai (AFP)
China coach Li Tie has revealed the psychological weight that the coronavirus has had on its players, present longer than expected in Dubai for a training camp prolonged by the pandemic.
Li Tie's men spent most of March in Dubai (United Arab Emirates), like many Chinese championship teams. After finding a flight, they were able to reach China on March 23 but had to be quarantined on the tropical island of Hainan (south), according to the Xinhua news agency.
"During this period, all of our players and staff were under great psychological pressure. Everyone was anxious, homesick and worried about our own safety," said Li Tie on Chinese television.
"The epidemic situation in Dubai worsening every day, the number of customers of our hotel was decreasing from day to day," added the former midfielder of Everton, appointed coach in early January to replace Marcello Lippi. "The other teams in the Chinese Super League (1st division) have returned to China one after the other."
The Chinese media reported that the team was mentally tired from a combination of training, quarantine and being away from their family in a difficult environment.
The players, who all tested negative, did not return to their clubs until the week of April 6 to prepare for the new season, which was originally scheduled to start on February 22 but has been postponed indefinitely.
Li had assembled his training team to prepare for the 2022 World Cup qualification matches against the Maldives and Guam, scheduled for March 26 and 31 but postponed. The coach thinks that these qualifications can resume in October or November.
The coronavirus appeared in China, in Wuhan (center), in December before spreading worldwide and killing more than 112,500 people.
© 2020 AFP