One thousand clear, five positives and one player boycotting a return
The first round of Covid-19 testing has taken place among first and second division players with just five positive cases being detected along with three members of backroom staff.
The first round of Covid-19 testing has taken place among first and second division players with just five positive cases being detected along with three members of backroom staff. Just five players among a pool of approximately one thousand in both top flight and second tier is an encouraging statistic and suggests that the start of the season recommencing can now be considered in earnest. The positive cases must now self-isolate for two weeks and then be retested. Their time out of action is equivalent to that of an ankle sprain and the result of the testing surprised many with LaLiga estimating that roughly 30 was the positive case level they anticipated.
Fear of the virus
One player among all squad members for both divisions has refused to return. Cádiz player Rafael Jiménez Jarque aka Fali has refused to return under the outlined conditions with the player stating that he will waiver his salary. The midfielder cites fear of the virus as his motive and the decision has been respectful to the 26-year-old's posture and state that in the current circumstances, it's unlikely he will amend his standpoint. The league leaders of the second division will now be without one squad member for the remainder of the 2019/20 season but many sides play with absences during any given season for a number of reasons.
Restart
It appears to me that head of the players' union David Aganzo has been somewhat marginalised in the process of trying to secure a return for Spanish football. He's opposed its resumption and complained against the termination of Segunda B and Tercera divisions and he was absent in the recent cumming between the Federation, LaLiga and government representatives in the Palacio de Viana. He's now trying to make up for lost tie but I can't help but feel that the ship has left the port for the former player and he may end up being sidelined in any major future decision making processes.