The Saint-Etienne team in July 2019 (illustration). – Graeme Sloan / Sipa USA / SIPA
“Serological screening tests and PCR carried out before the resumption of the activities of the professional group, Wednesday, reveal five positive cases with Covid-19 including three among the professional workforce”, explains a press release from ASSE. The football team of
Saint-Étienne announces that it has detected five positive cases in
coronavirus, including three players.
This Thursday, 38 tests were indeed carried out with employees of administrative services whose missions are related to the sports sector, the club said, in addition to the 33 players and 21 members of the coaching staff tested on Wednesday.
Contaminations outside training?
According to ASSE, this screening campaign “demonstrates that people who tested positive had contracted the virus during the confinement period when they were not in contact with each other”.
The persons concerned are now confined to their home and are the subject of support by the club’s medical staff in relation to the Saint-Etienne teaching hospital. They will undergo additional examinations within 24 hours.
A match against PSG soon
The Ligue 1 season has been definitively stopped due to the pandemic. Saint-Étienne, which has 41 players under professional contract with ASSE, is set to play the final of the Coupe de France against Paris SG in late July or early August.
In England, whose championship resumed on Wednesday, only one positive case was detected during the last round of tests on the players and manager of the Premier League clubs, out of 1,213 people tested.