Spain’s preparations for Euro 2020 have suffered a devastating blow following a positive Covid test in their camp. As announced by the national team website, defensive midfielder Sergio Busquets tested positive for coronavirus on Sunday.
Busquets was an integral part of Luis Enrique’s squad heading into the Euro finals, but the Spaniards will have to manage without their stalwart at the final tournament. The 32-year-old is now likely to miss out on his country’s group stage commitments.
The Spanish federation issued a statement on Sunday, confirming Busquets has returned a positive coronavirus test.
“The RFEF regrets to announce that its captain Sergio Busquets has given a positive result in the last PCR test that was carried out this morning at the concentration of the national team in Las Rozas. The rest of the members of the concentration have all tested negative.
“The Federation’s medical services have adopted all the necessary measures in a case of these characteristics in accordance with the protocols established by both the Ministry of Health and UEFA, so that the footballer has abandoned the concentration in a medicalized vehicle.
“Both the workers and the close contacts of the player will remain isolated for prevention in the concentration of the National Team and personalized training routines will be activated, maintaining the isolation, to continue with the preparation of the European.
“The appropriate sports measures will be evaluated soon depending on the evolution of the captain of the national team.“
Unfortunately for La Furia Roja, that’s not the end of agony, as everyone deemed within close proximity to the Barcelona talisman must be concerned about their own eligibility for Spain’s tournament curtain-raiser against Sweden.
With the Iberian giants’ group-stage opener only eight days away, Enrique faces a sizeable headache when it comes to his squad selection. The 51-year-old made a shocking decision to pick just 24 of a possible 26 players, the count now reduced to 23.
That’s not the only questionable call the ex-Barcelona manager has made. His decision not to include Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos into his Spain squad saw more than a few raised eyebrows.
Assigned to Group E alongside Sweden, Poland, and Slovakia, Spain are overwhelming favorites to reach the knock-out stages. However, their hopes of regaining the European crown have been thrown into a corridor of doubts in light of recent events.