"It is impossible to reduce vigilance in any case": what impact did the coronavirus have on the RPL

On the eve of the restart of the Russian Premier League (RPL), there were numerous disputes about the advisability of holding matches in the context of the coronavirus pandemic. The safety of teams and fans was the most questionable. In addition, some experts suggested that almost three months of downtime could negatively affect not only the form, but also the health of the players.

However, the research of the RPL operational headquarters at the end of the season, which ended on July 22, confirmed that the decision to finish the championship was made correctly.

If before the start of the 23rd round there were 11 footballers of the main teams in the lists of patients with coronavirus, then during the second half of the RPL their number exceeded 50. It should be noted that in the vast majority of cases, athletes did not have any clinical manifestations.

Each club quickly responded to positive test results for COVID-19, players with confirmed diagnoses or suspicious analyzes were immediately isolated and, if necessary, began to undergo treatment. In most cases, coaching staffs managed to find replacements for the players who were out of action. If the match was still impossible to play, then a technical defeat was due for failure to appear. For example, this happened with Sochi, which withdrew from the 29th and 30th rounds of the RPL.

Of the 46 confirmed cases of the disease after the resumption of the tournament, 37 accounted for only four teams, and in nine teams, not a single one was detected at all.

According to the data collected by the RPL operational headquarters, all the players diagnosed with pneumonia (13 people) fully recovered and, after a thorough examination, returned to training and games. Some of them, for example, Pavel Pogrebnyak and Jefferson Farfan, even managed to score goals. Further studies carried out by the club doctors did not reveal any complications in the work of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, as well as hematopoietic organs.

The chairman of the medical committee of the Russian Football Union (RFU), Eduard Bezuglov, noted that the experience gained in the fight against coronavirus will help to avoid mistakes made in the 2019/20 season, although there is no need to talk about full control over the situation.

“In general, it will not be easier, as the RPL and all the other football leagues are well aware that it is impossible to reduce vigilance in any case. However, the work done on the errors will allow you to avoid unpleasant situations that arise earlier. It should be recalled that the RPL was one of the first sports leagues to resume matches. It was difficult to do, but it is already clear that the work done was not in vain, "explained Bezuglov RT.

Concerns about the physical fitness of the players were also not confirmed. After the resumption of centralized training on the basis of data from 14 clubs, specialists from the High Achievements Sports Laboratory of S. Yu. Witte University and the RPL operational headquarters did not find an increase in non-contact injuries to muscles and joints, which are primarily attributed to "fatigue" injuries.

The study took into account injuries that took more than two days to heal and received over three to four weeks of training and seven rounds of RPL. In total, during this time, the players received 67 injuries, none of which required surgery, and missed 853 days (an average of 60 days per team). 22 of them were received at the preparatory training camp, and 21 - directly during the matches.

On average, each team had fewer than five injuries in nearly two months of training and play, which is a standard figure.

Only six out of 14 teams had five or more injuries, and in seven there were no injuries at all, or only one player received them. After the end of the championship, 14 athletes continue treatment.

The 2020/21 season starts on August 8th, so it can be assumed that a short pause, as well as a tighter match schedule, will lead to a surge in damage. However, according to Bezuglov, this can be avoided.

“The coaching and medical staffs of the teams have received a lot of valuable information over the past two months. I think that this experience, coupled with the professionalism of the athletes themselves, will help to avoid a large number of injuries, ”the specialist said.

The safety of matches for fans has also been confirmed by statistics. Recall that in accordance with the decree of Rospotrebnadzor, stadiums could only be filled to 10% of the total number of seats. In addition, until the beginning of June, a self-isolation regime operated practically throughout the country, and any gatherings of people were prohibited.

For comparison, the epidemiological situation was taken in 12 regions that hosted RPL meetings, and in 38 neighboring regions from June 19 to July 19. It turned out that in the first case, the number of cases of coronavirus increased by 19%, which is 28% less than in other regions.

The only exceptions were the Tula and Orenburg regions, where the number of detected cases was higher than in neighboring regions, but this difference was also insignificant.

From August 1, the occupancy of the stands will increase by 50%, which means that more fans will have the opportunity to personally support their teams.

“The experience of holding RPL games with spectators has shown that this does not entail negative consequences in terms of an increase in morbidity. Therefore, there are all prerequisites for increasing the number of spectators in the stands. Naturally, with the most responsible approach from both clubs and fans. Compliance with the prescribed safety standards is not someone's whim, and they are intended primarily to preserve the health of all participants in football matches, ”concluded Bezuglov.