Players from Spain’s leading clubs have expressed concern about returning to work while the coronavirus is still a threat and are against La Liga’s plans to hold closed training camps in which players would stay on site with their clubs, the association of Spanish footballers’ (AFE) has said.
Captains from all 42 teams in La Liga and Spanish soccer’s second division held a video meeting with the players’ association (AFE) on Tuesday to discuss conditions for returning to work.
All football has been on hold since March 10 due to the spread of the virus in Spain, which has more than 200,000 confirmed infections, the most in Europe, with the second highest death toll on the continent behind Italy, at over 21,000.
Although no date has been set for a return to training or matches, both La Liga and the Spanish federation have pledged they will try to ensure the season is completed.
La Liga chief Javier Tebas has said Spanish clubs would lose around €1 billion if the campaign cannot be finished.
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The league has been working on a protocol establishing conditions for a return to training, which recommends that teams hold closed training camps at facilities, a move which Barca’s Sergio Busquets said he was against.
The captains underlined their opposition to closed training camps during Tuesday’s meeting, an AFE spokesman said, adding that players would be informing the government’s department for sport and the health ministry of their concerns about returning to action.
“The players have shown their utmost concern for the situation society is experiencing at the moment and in particular about the health conditions they will find themselves in when they return to normal activity,” he added.