Covid-19: Lionel Messi and three PSG positive players, pandemic shakes up European football

Four PSG players, including the star Argentina, have been diagnosed positively in the coronavirus, announced the club on Sunday. The pandemic spare no European championship.

Le Monde with AFP

Covid-19 Cascade Case in Paris-Saint-Germain (PSG), Girondins of Bordeaux, Bayern Munich, Juventus Turin or FC Barcelona … The surfing of contamination caused by the Omicron Variant Josts the European football agenda.

The Argentine Star of PSG Lionel Messi is one of the four players of the Paris-Cov-2 Post-Diagnosed Parisian workforce, announced the club on Sunday, on the eve of a French Cup game in Vannes. Tested in Argentina, where he spent with family a week of vacation, in his hometown of Rosario, the gold balloon will remain on the spot. “It is constantly in contact with our medical service. When it is negative, it will be able to return to France,” coach, Mauricio Pochettino said in press conference. “I do not know” if it can play the shock of Ligue 1 in Lyon, Sunday, January 9, continued the technician.

In addition to Messi, the lateral defender Juan Bernat, the Guardian Sergio Rico and the young Nathan Bitumazala medium are also positive. “They are currently complying with isolation and are subject to the adapted health protocol,” added the club. In addition, Mauricio Pochettino admitted Sunday that the internship in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, where the PSG must go from January 16 to 19, was uncertain.

The Coupe de France and the League 1 affected

PSG does not escape the high propagation of the Omicron variant epidemic, which disrupts the seizen of the final of the Coupe de France and the league calendar 1. Seven players were diagnosed positive in Monaco . Twenty-one were in Bordeaux, which moves with seven professionals and thirteen young people in Brest on Sunday.

In Ligue 1, the match between Angers and Saint-Etienne, scheduled on January 9, was postponed because of the large number of COVID-19 cases in the Angevin workforce.

“It’s been almost two years since we live with the virus, everyone knows what to do not to be contaminated. But we can always catch it, there are things we do not master not, “said PSG coach.

European football at the rhythm of the Omicron variant

France is not an isolated case in Europe. In England, where the Omicron variant quickly imposed itself at the beginning of the winter, eighteen first League meetings have been postponed since December 9, including three on the nine planned on the day of the traditional Boxing Day on December 26 . Sunday, the shock of the e day between Chelsea and Liverpool will be played without Jürgen Klopp, the Reds coach.

In Italy, Juventus announced Saturday night that his captain, Giorgio Chiellini, was positive, after having announced two other cases the day before. In Spain, Barça Coach, Xavi, asked Saturday the postponement of the match against Majorca, because of a dozen cases within his workforce. Several Holders of the Atlético de Madrid, including Antoine Griezmann, are also affected.

/Media reports.