Drita's Champions League qualifier canceled after COVID-19 positive tests

by Lula Guzman | August 14, 2020 | 00:53
Drita's Champions League qualifier canceled after COVID-19 positive tests

UEFA postponed Tuesday Kosovo's club FC Drita Champions League qualifier against Linfield of Northern Ireland after a player from Drita tested positive for Covid-19.

The preliminary round final in Nyon was postponed just over an hour before kick-off after a second Drita player tested positive for Covid-19. Another player had contracted the virus on the eve of Drita's game on Saturday against Inter Escaldes of Andorra.

A second member of the side produced a positive coronavirus test on Monday and it forced the fixture to be called off after the whole squad was put into quarantine.

The teams could not play a scheduled game Tuesday at an empty stadium next to UEFA's headquarters after the Drita squad was put into quarantine by local public authorities.

"Accordingly, the upcoming fixture can't be played".

The matter will now be submitted to the UEFA Control and Disciplinary Body, for a decision to be taken in accordance with Annex I of the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League regulations, which was approved by the UEFA Executive Committee last week.

Under the UEFA protocol for European competitions, a team must have 13 healthy players, including a goalkeeper, for a match to go ahead.

It is expected that Drita will forfeit the game with Linfield awarded a 3-0 win, sending the Blues into a first qualifying round tie with Legia Warsaw next Tuesday or Wednesday.

Bizarrely next season's early stages have begun before the 2020-21 Champions League campaign has even finished with the quarterfinals onwards about to take place in Portugal.

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