After England, Spain's Football League Under Covid-19 Shadow As Real Madrid Players Test Positive

Real Madrid Covid Outbreak: With seven positive cases recorded within a week, Madrid's game against Cadiz that is set to be played on December 19 is in doubt.

Real Madrid's Welsh forward Gareth Bale | Image: AFP

Real Madrid said players Gareth Bale, Marco Asensio, Rodrygo, Andriy Lunin, and an assistant coach have joined its group infected by a coronavirus outbreak.  Luka Modric and Marcelo were the players who had earlier tested positive for Covid on Wednesday. 

The week has been hard on footballers from Europe as five English Premier League matches were also canceled due to the rising case of Covid-19 among players and staff. 

In a statement, the Spanish club said, "Real Madrid C. F. informs that our players Marco Asensio, Gareth Bale, Andriy Lunin and Rodrygo, and our head assistant coach Davide Ancelotti have tested positive for COVID-19."

Official Announcement#RealMadrid

— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) December 16, 2021

With seven positive cases recorded within a week, Madrid's game against Cadiz that is set to be played on December 19 is in doubt. However, La Liga rules say that if a team has 13 players plus a goal-keeper available, then the match can go on. 

Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has released a new set of Covid-19 protocols that will be followed in the days to come. In a 34-page document, RFEF says that the players will have to carry out PCR tests every 15 days, while the pre-match formalities of shaking the hands will not take place. The winter break begins on December 22, 2021, after Madrid's clash against Athletic Club. 

Meanwhile, six EPL matches have been canceled due to the rising cases of Covid-19 among players and staff.