Players and staff who tested positive at the two Serie A clubs sent home in compliance with Italian government protocols
Friday 8 May 2020 08:35, UK
Sampdoria and Fiorentina have reported four and six new cases of coronavirus respectively after players from the two Serie A sides underwent their first tests ahead of a return to individual training.
Fiorentina announced three first-team players and three members of staff have tested positive to COVID-19 on Wednesday after the government's go-ahead to restart individual sessions on Monday.
Sampdoria then reported three players from the first-team squad have tested positive for coronavirus, with one other player, who has already tested positive since the start of the pandemic, still resulting positive for the virus.
The two clubs have confirmed they sent home the people involved to continue their isolation in compliance with the government's protocol.
"After the tests undertaken in the laboratory on Wednesday afternoon, ACF Fiorentina reports that three players and three members of the healthcare-technician staff have been identified as testing positive to COVID-19," a Fiorentina club statement said on Thursday.
"The club has arranged, as per the protocol, for the involved people to continue their isolation. Preparatory medicals for the rest of the group are scheduled for Friday morning ahead of the beginning of the optional activities on the pitch."
Three Fiorentina players - including on-loan Wolves striker Patrick Cutrone, German Pezzella and Dusan Vlahovic - contracted COVID-19 in March, but made a full recovery and tested negative for the virus in early April.
Sampdoria also had a host of players test positive to coronavirus since the start of the pandemic, including Omar Colley, Morten Thorsby, Albin Ekdal, Antonino La Gumina, Fabio Depaoli and former Southampton striker Manolo Gabbiadini as well as club medic Amedeo Baldari.
On Wednesday, fellow Serie A side Torino announced that after their first batch of swabs an unnamed player has tested positive for COVID-19 and has been placed in quarantine.
Juventus star Paulo Dybala and Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Sportiello have also both recovered from the virus this week after continuing to test positive for weeks.
At least 19 Serie A players have tested positive for the virus since the league was suspended on March 9, when the government ordered a nationwide lockdown which has since been partly lifted.
Italian football clubs are allowed to resume group training sessions on May 18, and while last week Serie A clubs reiterated their "unanimous will" to complete the season, the chance of the league resuming is in the balance.
Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte said he plans to meet with all of the football stakeholders to discuss the situation and the government is set to have the last word when it comes to resuming the season.
Brescia captain Daniele Gastaldello says his entire squad opposes resuming the Serie A season amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Bottom club Brescia are based in the Lombardy region which has been the worst-hit in Italy as nearly 15,000 people died since the start of the pandemic.
"In Brescia we've all been touched," Gastaldello told Italian daily La Repubblica on Thursday. "We all know someone who has been directly hit by the tragedy. We've realised how little it takes to ruin a family."
Most clubs in the Italian top flight are resuming training on an individual basis this week, but Brescia have made no plans for a return to training so far.
"We don't feel safe," Gastaldello said. "They're asking us to resume training and to get back out onto the field right away, concentrating 12 matches in one month.
"It's putting all of the players' safety on the line. I'm speaking for me and for my team-mates. If the price of resuming is us getting seriously injured, it's not worth it anymore. We are afraid."
Brescia president Massimo Cellino last month threatened to forfeit the club's remaining games if the season resumes but said it has nothing to do with avoiding relegation.
