STOCKHOLM: Sweden’s Euro 2020 squad will be subjected to stricter COVID-19 measures after two players, star forward Dejan Kulusevski and midfielder Mattias Svanberg tested positive, the Swedish FA said Wednesday.
“Since two players have now tested positive a meeting was held on Tuesday evening with the medical team and team coaches where different measures were discussed to limit the risk of a spread of the infection,” the association said in a statement published Tuesday.
A series of measures were adopted, including daily antigen tests and an increased number of PCR tests and indoor meetings will be held in smaller groups and in the biggest rooms available.
Time limits will also be set on players receiving treatment with sessions to be held outdoors if possible.
The squad, which already lost its star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic to injury just weeks before the start of the tournament, hopes to avoid a further spread of the virus with less than a week to go before its opening match on Monday against Spain.
Juventus midfielder Kulusevski, who was the first player to test positive, will have to sit out the Spain match, while a second test result is still pending to confirm Svanberg’s infection.
Coach Janne Andersson said he hoped Kulusevski would recover in time for the team’s second match on June 18 against Slovakia.
According to UEFA rules, if a team is partially placed in quarantine or isolation, the match can go ahead as long as the team has at least 13 players including a goalkeeper.
UEFA can also reschedule a match within 48 hours, or relocate it.
If none of those options are possible, the team responsible for the cancelation of the match will be handed a 3-0 defeat.
Sweden does not plan to vaccinate its players for the Euro.
“It’s not fair that we would be vaccinated before everyone else,” coach Janne Andersson said Tuesday, referring to Sweden’s ongoing strategy of vaccinating people by descending age categories.
“I think it’s good that old and sick people go first,” team doctor Anders Valentin added.
So far only two players are fully vaccinated, one has received a first dose and several others have antibodies.
Sweden Euro squad tightens COVID-19 measures after two cases
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Sweden Euro squad tightens COVID-19 measures after two cases
Messi bags 899th goal as Miami down DC United
- The Argentine superstar’s 80th goal for Miami takes his career tally to 899, leaving him just one away from reaching the 900-goal milestone
WASHINGTON, United States: Lionel Messi moved to the brink of another goalscoring milestone as Inter Miami bagged their second win of the Major League Soccer season with a 2-1 victory over DC United on Saturday.
Messi, who scored twice in Miami’s Florida derby win over Orlando last week, bagged his third goal of the season with a deft chipped finish in the 27th minute at Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.
The Argentine superstar’s 80th goal for Miami takes his career tally to 899, leaving him just one away from reaching the 900-goal milestone.
The eight-time Ballon D’Or winner, who turns 39 in June, scored 672 goals for Barcelona earlier in his career and 32 at Paris Saint-Germain, with a further 115 international goals for Argentina.
Saturday’s win moved the reigning MLS champions up the Eastern Conference standings into third place with six points from three games.
Miami, who on Thursday were guests of President Donald Trump at a White House reception, took the lead in the 17th minute with a superb curling shot from the edge of the area by Messi’s Argentina team-mate Rodrigo De Paul.
Messi then doubled Miami’s lead 10 minutes later, latching on to a sublime through ball from Mateo Silvetti and dinking a first-time finish over the advancing DC United goalkeeper Sean Johnson.
United rallied after half-time, and were given hope when Israeli forward Tai Baribo pulled a goal back in the 75th minute.
Miami though were able to hold off United in the closing stages to seal victory.
