Euro 2021: Busquets positive for Covid-19, terrible consequences for Spain

This Sunday morning, Sergio Busquets tested positive for Covid-19 while he was, since last Monday, with the Spanish selection, in a health bubble, at the national technical center in Madrid.

However, he had tested negative on Friday, the morning of the friendly match against Portugal.

Captain de la Roja was therefore evacuated in a medical ambulance to his home in Barcelona and will have, as provided for by health standards, to observe a ten-day quarantine.

He is already forfeited for Spain's first Euro match against Sweden next Monday.

📸 Los jugadores de la @SeFutbol entrenan por turnos y de forma individual en las instalaciones de la Ciudad del Fútbol de Las Rozas. # SomosEspaña # EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/fjk2QjGKZV

- Selección Española de Fútbol (@SeFutbol) June 7, 2021

Individualized training

This is the only positive case within the Spanish delegation.

But the players, the technical staff and the staff supervising the selection, that is to say 51 people, all considered as contact cases, have since yesterday been placed in solitary confinement.

A preventive measure that will completely truncate the preparation of Roja.

She will not play her last friendly match against Lithuania, scheduled for tonight, and will be replaced by the Hopes selection.

Worse, players are now forced to follow individualized training.

So no more collective training to perfect automatisms.

Impossible also to make tactical set-up.

And it is also the end of group life, since for example no more meals will be taken together.

Read also Euro 2021: "If a player is positive for Covid, it's over", the ruthless UEFA regulations

The coach, Luis Enrique, will have to make his talks and discuss with his players only by videoconference ... Already it is not easy to live in isolation for several weeks, the Spanish internationals will therefore find themselves completely alone during many days.

Not ideal a week before the start of the Euro.

Especially when you know the importance of group life in this kind of competition.

Players and staff vaccinated this Tuesday?

The leaders of the Spanish Football Federation, who fear a cluster within the selection, are furious.

They had asked, two months ago, the Minister of Health that all players participating in the Euro be vaccinated.

As is the case for the Spanish athletes who will compete in the Olympic Games.

A request again formulated on Friday by the Minister of Culture and Sport to his counterpart in Health, and again refused.

But following the Busquets case, the Public Health Commission will finally study and approve or not, tomorrow, the fact that the players and the staff of the selection are vaccinated with the Janssen monodose.

Spain coach Luis Enrique has called in several players for reinforcement.

Reuters / Sergio Perez

Luis Enrique, who has - incomprehensibly - selected only 24 players for the Euro instead of the 26 authorized by UEFA, he is considering replacing Busquets before the start of the tournament. We are talking about Martin Zubimendi, the defensive midfielder of the Espoirs and Real Sociedad. To anticipate a possible cluster and in case he should change his final selection, the coach called for help to train with La Roja, midfielders Brais Méndez (Celta Vigo), Carlos Soler (Valencia), Pablo Fornals (West Ham) and striker Rodrigo Moreno (Leeds). He has until Sunday 9 p.m. to replace a player.

But the scenario could turn into disaster for Spain. According to UEFA texts, they could lose their first game to Sweden 3-0 on the green carpet if a cluster hits half of the squad and they are unable to bring together 13 negative players on morning of the match, including at least one goalkeeper. If the contamination is not as important, and if Spain must select new players, the European body plans to postpone the match within 48 hours. On one condition: that the players positive for the coronavirus and replaced cannot return, later, to compete in the competition.