Hands off your face in Corona times: Atlético's trainer Diego Simeone
Photo:Acero / imago images / Alterphotos
When locking Atlético Madrid no one is fooling. Under coach Diego Pablo Simeone, not only are their own goals defended particularly skillfully, but also the intimacy of club life. Hardly anything gets out, even less is communicated. For fans of the Champions League quarter-finalists, that meant excruciatingly long hours between Sunday evening and Monday afternoon.
You knew from a press release: Shortly before the duel with RB Leipzig on Thursday (9 p.m., live ticker SPIEGEL.de) there are two positive Covid 19 cases in Atlético's Champions League delegation. You read in the media: they are players. You saw on pictures of the training ground: nobody there, everything closed. And in view of almost two weeks of team training after the end of the short vacation, they had to fear: there is more to come.
Then, shortly before 2 p.m., the next communiqué and, at least for now, the reassurance: no further positive cases. Training should start again in the late afternoon. Only the trip to the final tournament in Lisbon was postponed from Monday evening to Tuesday as a precaution. The already injured full-back Sime Vrsaljko and attacker Ángel Correa will not go on board and will be missing against Leipzig on Thursday. You are the two infected.
"Shameless" wishes to Lemar
So not Thomas Lemar, who was considered a bad purchase, as cynical fans in the social networks had hoped (which they indirectly proved to the club that a lack of transparency only makes it worse in the end: through an angry reaction from Lemar's compatriot and Seville professional Jules Koundé - "so shameless" - experienced the corresponding tweets considerable circulation). But there is also one of the key players such as goalkeeper Jan Oblak, defensive boss José María Giménez, the midfield all-rounders Koke and Saúl, or, of course, Simeone.
The only question is: is there still something to come?
The most recent negative samples from the other players were taken one day after the two positive results, which is good news. The fact that the Croat Vrsaljko did not train with the team recently could have alleviated some of the nervousness while waiting. On the other hand, the Covid numbers in Spain have recently shot up so uncontrollably that a complete all-clear seems utopian. Especially since there are cautionary examples from football. Even from the same city.
While a positive case at arch rivals Real Madrid (striker Mariano) was successfully isolated in the run-up to the Champions League round of 16, the second division match between Deportivo La Coruña and CF Fuenlabrada took place parallel to Real's knockout in the last 16 at Manchester City on Friday. It had been canceled two and a half weeks earlier shortly before kick-off - when a number of positive tests at the Madrid suburban club Fuenlabrada became known. Despite existing Covid cases among players and supervisors, the rest of the team went on trips.
Madrid's sport is particularly struggling with Corona
Since then, Spanish and especially Madrid sport have not come to rest. The footballers from Fuenlabrada missed in a duel of two emergency selections on Friday classified as a farce by all those involved, the necessary point for the promotion playoff through a controversial penalty in stoppage time. The (sports) legal processing of the matter is still ongoing. According to an overview by the television station Telemadrid, there are also positive cases with the basketball first division team from Fuenlabrada (five), the league competitor Estudiantes Madrid (one) and the local futsal team Inter Movistar (one). As well as: the women's team at Atlético Madrid (four).
The women's team is also currently preparing for the final tournament of the Champions League, which is set to rise in the Basque Country on August 21. They train on the same terrain as the men. A planned friendly against Athletic Bilbao had to be canceled on Saturday.
The regulations require Simeone's men's team to play against Leipzig with at least 13 players from the 23 professionals who were entered on the A-list for the tournament. One of them has to be a goalkeeper. Otherwise, an expansion to include youth players can be permitted; postponement of the game or a rating in favor of the opponent are possible consequences. However, Uefa did not want to specify this on Monday. Assume a normal course of the game.
After two narrow defeats in the final in 2014 and 2016, Atlético dreams of their first Champions League title. The draw with Leipzig - and then in the possible semifinals against outsiders Atalanta Bergamo or Paris St. Germain, which is plagued by injury concerns - seems cheaper than ever. But now the dream hangs by a thread. Or: the next test results.
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