Products You May Like
Real Madrid‘s players have all tested negative for the coronavirus, clearing the way for a return to training, multiple club sources have confirmed to ESPN.
The squad underwent coronavirus testing at their Valdebebas training ground on Wednesday alongside coach Zinedine Zidane, his assistants and other key staff.
– Stream new episodes of ESPN FC Monday-Friday on ESPN+
- Stream every episode of 30 for 30: Soccer Stories on ESPN+
– ESPN Insider Notebook: Manchester hits back at Di Maria’s wife
The results mean there will be no absentees when Madrid begin individual training sessions at 10 a.m. CEST on Monday morning as a first step towards a return to action in La Liga.
Players had been training at home since Real Madrid City was quarantined on March 12 when the club’s basketball player Trey Thompkins tested positive.
Earlier this week the facilities at Valdebebas were cleaned and prepared for use following guidelines set out by La Liga and Spain’s National Sports Council.
“Everything has been measured to the millimeter and studied carefully,” a club employee told ESPN.
From Monday, players will arrive already wearing training gear, go directly to their assigned pitch and begin individual exercises set out in advance by coaching staff, maintaining social distancing at all times.
There will be a four-week, phased return to full training, with these individual sessions followed by small-size group activities.
La Liga has confirmed that it hopes to restart the 2019-20 season in June, with 11 rounds of games still to be played, and complete it this summer.
The coach of first division side Leganes Javier Aguirre said on Thursday that matches would be played from June 20 until July 26.
ESPN has been told that a specific date is yet to be confirmed by La Liga, and a return to competitive games will depend on how Spain’s de-escalation process unfolds.
The country has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, with more than 222,000 confirmed cases and over 26,000 deaths.