In June, Spanish radio stations reported that multiple FC Barcelona players and staff members contracted the virus, but neither the club nor La Liga confirmed the news.
Rabat – Spain’s Barcelona Football Club (FC Barcelona) announced Wednesday that a player has tested positive for COVID-19.
The player underwent a PCR test on Tuesday and is now isolated at his home. FC Barcelona said the player shows no COVID-19 symptoms and is in good health.
One positive case of Covid-19 among the nine players starting the preseason. https://t.co/8wtNikt2mZ
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 12, 2020
Although FC Barcelona did not reveal the identity of the player, the Catalan club declared on Monday that nine players have been tested for COVID-19.
The players include Pedri, Francisco Trincao, Matheus Fernandes, Jean-Clair Todibo, Moussa Wague, Carles Alena, Raphael Rafinha, Juan Miranda, and Oriol Busquets.
FC Barcelona also reassured fans by affirming that the player has not been in contact with members of the first team.
The Spanish club’s next match is set to take place on Friday, August 14, against Germany’s Bayern Munich in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon. The match is part of the quarter-finals of the European UEFA Champions League.
FC Barcelona will have the match in Lisbon behind closed doors due to COVID-19. The decision is in line with UEFA’s reform to the competition system.
Spain allowed the Spanish professional football league (La Liga) to resume on May 2. One month later, Catalan radio station RAC1 reported that five FC Barcelona members had tested positive for COVID-19.
The five members who caught the virus have since recovered. The patients included two coaches, according to the “Tu Diras” radio program.
However, neither FC Barcelona nor La Liga confirmed or denied the radio stations’ reports.
Several well-known football players and figures around the world have tested positive for COVID-19 and recovered.
Notable recoveries include the former Italian defender Paolo Maldini, Argentinian forward Paulo Dybala, British League’s Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta, French midfielder Blaise Matuidi, Belgian midfielder Marouane Fellaini, and more.
