As a professional football club, set up a team again now that the virus is popping up everywhere

Translated to this time, she is the OMT member of PEC Zwolle, says club doctor Mineke Vegter. If the number of infections rises, colleagues will look at her. The trainers in particular, who – as ministers – want to be convinced of the need for measures. And just like in politics, other stakeholders are also making themselves heard. The strength trainer, executives. Close the gym? That’s what causes injuries. A second player bus? Costs 600 euros per day. The question is always: when must something and when mag the?

Nevertheless, Vegter was relentless last week. The practice match in Germany against Hannover 96 could not go on. “All of us on the bus to play hours away did not feel responsible.”

At that time, PEC was at a training camp in Epe with a thinned out selection. A number of players tested positive around the holidays, before departure or on the first day. “It is a matter of deliberation,” says Vegter about the decision not to play football. “Trainers think the practice matches in January are very important. Players can gain rhythm, get fit. This was a joint decision, but they also sometimes ask me if we are not too careful. Whether players can’t join the group before, instead of after the ten days we use. That’s top sport, isn’t it, always wanting to push the boundaries.”

The virus is advancing. Everywhere, including in football. Though clubs thought they had left the time of strict measures behind them, their selections are still being ravaged by Covid-19.

For that reason, two matches in professional football were canceled for the first time on Sunday. Excelsior missed too many players to play against ADO Den Haag, Jong AZ for the game at Top Oss. Both clubs did not have thirteen footballers at their disposal, the minimum to have to play, including a goalkeeper. To prevent clubs from having to fall back on youth players, the KNVB takes a list of twenty-five players as a starting point. A postponement can only be requested if thirteen or more of these are infected.

At the same time, the conditions for playing football also apply: a full vaccination not older than four months, an infection in the past six months, a booster shot (seven days after vaccination) and a negative PCR or antigen test by an independent party. The vaccination rate among professional football players in the Netherlands is 75 percent, according to a survey by the players’ union VVCS, which was completed by 157 of the more than a thousand professional players in the Netherlands.

Elsewhere in Europe, clubs are struggling with the same problems as the Dutch. Two matches were canceled in the French Ligue 1 this weekend: Lille-FC Lorient and Montpellier-Troyes. Things were even messier in the Serie A. Four matches were canceled there last week. Not surprising in itself, were it not for the fact that the league bosses did not officially postpone each of these matches. Internazionale, for example, kicked off at Bologna on Thursday, even though it was known in advance that the home team had been put in home isolation by the local GGD. At that time, local authorities could still cancel duels, but not anymore. The Serie A immediately introduced a new protocol on Thursday evening, which, like that of the KNVB, prescribes that clubs need thirteen men to play.

Players on vacation

Several matches have also been canceled in England before. In the Premier League, 103 footballers tested positive last week and 94 the week before. Spain? There was a lot of talk about FC Barcelona. If the club managed to buy a player despite financial difficulties, Ferran Torres, who had taken over from Manchester City, tested positive almost immediately, as did chairman Joan Laporta, who still embraced Torres during his presentation. Eleven players from Barcelona were already infected by then.

Germany? This mainly spoke of Bayern Munich, which had so many infections (nine) when the season resumed that it selected two sixteen-year-olds for the game against Borussia Mönchengladbach. One of them (Paul Wanner) was allowed to fill in and became Bayern’s youngest player ever in the Bundesliga. A record that was overshadowed by the 2-1 loss. That’s what you get with so many absentees, the German press suggested. How strict was Bayern still regarding corona?

Trainer Julian Nagelsmann reacted with irritation. Yes, players had been on vacation. Should he have banned them? “That’s not even allowed by law.” The club, he said, had followed the same rules and recommendations as it had for the past two years. And for players it was important to recharge. “You can’t force them to stay at home.”

Players also flew out in the Eredivisie. Videos of football players who stayed abroad appeared on social media. Some for family visits, others for lounging on the beach in the Caribbean. “May last year we still banned players from flying,” says PEC doctor Vegter, “but they still had to be able to go home.”

Canceled training camps

More complicated was the question of whether clubs should go to training camp. Overwintering in sunnier places is a tradition for Eredivisie clubs in particular. Good for team spirit, good for fitness. But also a risk.

Still, some took the plane. Ajax went to the Algarve last week; upon departure, the entire group (sixty men) tested negative. Vitesse also traveled to Portugal. “At the moment everything revolves around corona. There’s nothing new about that. That is why it makes little difference whether we are here or in Arnhem,” said Vitesse trainer Thomas Letsch at the NOS . “We have to be careful everywhere.”

Like infections lurking everywhere. This became apparent when both Ajax and Vitesse had to break off the training camp prematurely. Vitesse then flew back to the Netherlands without the persons concerned. Ajax had its four positive cases flown back by private jet, against the rules, which resulted in the club being reprimanded by outgoing minister Hugo de Jonge. “Athletes are not above the law.” NEC, which went to Spain, also returned earlier.

Sc Heerenveen thought he could still go to Apeldoorn, but remained in Friesland due to infections. PSV and Feyenoord canceled their training camps before departure. Despite several infections in the selection, not everyone at Feyenoord was equally happy with this decision advised by club doctor Joost van der Hoek. After all, training camps also cost money. They are often paid for with the broadcasting rights of the matches that are played there. Feyenoord would play against Club Brugge in Marbella. Partly due to finances, PEC Zwolle canceled its training camp at the beginning of December.

National doctor Edwin Goedhart says when asked that clubs must be alert to the basic rules again. “Travelling, eating together, meetings, changing room use: these are all moments when you run the risk of infecting each other. Now try to avoid that as much as possible.”

In fact, it’s exactly what he said two years ago. And has been calling ever since. Even though not everyone in football has felt the urgency of that message lately.