Image: instagram.com/cristiano/ Cristiano Ronaldo, a soccer star and one of the most popular athletes in the world, was found positive for ...
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| Image: instagram.com/cristiano/ |
Ronaldo, the captain of the Italian club Juventus and the Portuguese National Team, played a friendly match against Spain last week and on Sunday in the League of Nations against France. Neither of the other two teams reported positive incidents. Ronaldo shared a photo of himself on social media dinner with his teammates on Monday. "United in and out of the arena," he wrote.
Two other Portuguese players, Jose Fonte and Anthony Lopes, tested positive last week according to ESPN. Earlier this year, three Juventus players — Daniele Rugani, Blaise Matuidi and Paulo Dybal — and the team doctor contracted the coronavirus, according to the Associated Press.
And earlier this month, the virus was contracted by two staff members, prompting the team to quarantine. Ronaldo will sit in Portugal's UEFA League game against Sweden on Wednesday. The game has not been postponed. The Juventus FC coach of 23 reserve teams, Lamberto Zauli, also tested positive for coronavirus, the club said on Tuesday. As a result, the backup team went into exile. "The club is in regular touch with the competent health authorities," read the declaration.
Cases on other clubs, Ronaldo isn't the only soccer star who has recently been tested positive. Manchester United media player Paul Pogba was found to be optimistic. The Brazilian star Neymar and two of his Paris Saint-Germain teammates are confirmed to have contracted the virus during a postseason holiday. On Monday, Peru's soccer federation said that two of its players would not be competing in the qualifying against Brazil on Tuesday night after a positive test. Premier League recently announced five new positive cases after 1,128 players and club staff had been screened.
The United States' top-level soccer league, Major League Soccer, has postponed the next three Colorado Rapids games after an outbreak of team cases. Since September 26, the league has already rescheduled four previous Rapids matches. Five Rapids players and twelve members of staff tested positive between Sept. 24 and Oct. 9.
No new cases have been identified by the team since then. The League reported that the decision to postpone the games was made "based on the total number of existing cases and in consultation with the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment."
