Spanish club Atletico Madrid on Monday confirmed that two players have tested positive for coronavirus ahead of their Champions League quarter-final clash against RB Leipzig.
"Yesterday, Saturday 8 August, all members of the first team and the club's expedition to Lisbon underwent PCR tests at the Ciudad Deportiva de Majadahonda as required by UEFA protocol to participate in the quarterfinals of the Champions League," the club said in a statement in Spanish.
"Among the results known today, two positives have appeared, which are isolated in their respective homes, and which were immediately communicated to the Spanish and Portuguese health authorities, UEFA, the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the Portuguese Federation and the Higher Sports Council," it added.
Atletico Madrid are scheduled to take on RB Leipzig in the Champions League quarter-final on August 14.
The quarterfinals start on Wednesday with Atalanta facing Paris Saint-Germain. The other one-game series will involve Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich on Friday and Manchester City vs. Lyon on Saturday.
The matches will take place at two stadiums in Lisbon.
The club further stated, "Likewise, the corresponding action protocol foreseen for these cases has been activated, which requires new PCR tests to be carried out on the first team and members of the expedition to Lisbon and the closest contacts of the positive cases, and that motivates changes in training schedules, in the structure and development of travel and accommodation in the Portuguese capital. The club will coordinate the new schedules with UEFA and as soon as there is a new plan it will be made public."
Earlier this week Atlético had to cancel a friendly of its women's team after a positive test within the group.
Atlético said that, after the Spanish league season had ended, the club asked for all Spanish teams still involved in European competitions to keep voluntarily following the league's health safety protocols.
It said UEFA only required one negative test from each member of the group within 72 hours of the trip to Lisbon, but the team had been testing its members weekly and was still working with the health safety inspector assigned by the Spanish league.
Atlético said a total of 93 people had been tested the day before the squad returned to training on July 26, and the first team and those in close contact with it were tested again last Sunday, with all results coming back negative.
Atlético is seeking its first title in Europe's most lucrative club competition. It lost the 2014 and 2016 Champions League finals to city rival Real Madrid. It was also runner-up in 1974, losing to Bayern Munich.
Diego Simeone's team was eliminated by Juventus in the round of 16 last season.
(with inputs from agencies)
