Soccer team with virus outbreak reports 12 more cases
MADRID (AP) — The Spanish second-division club at the center of a coronavirus outbreak said Saturday it had 12 new cases, taking the total to 28 infections among players and staff.
Madrid-based Fuenlabrada also said that two more people who had been in close contact with the team have also tested positive.
Four of the new infections are in Madrid, while the other eight are among the squad and staff that have been isolated this week in a hotel in La Coruña. The team had traveled to play a final-round match at Deportivo when the outbreak was detected.
The club added that the player infected with COVID-19 who was hospitalized in La Coruña on Friday remained in stable condition.
The Spanish league canceled the match between Fuenlabrada and Deportivo when the outbreak was detected only hours before kickoff on Monday. The results of the final round meant Deportivo was relegated to the third division.
Deportivo asked for all matches to be replayed, as did other clubs who felt they had been unfairly harmed by the decision due to its impact on the standings.
The league said the games shouldn’t be played again, but it could be up to sports courts to eventually decide who will get promoted or relegated.
Local officials in La Coruña have also complained about the apparent failure of safety protocols that permitted Fuenlabrada to travel to their city.