Two Seongnam players, six staff test positive for Covid-19

Seongnam FC reported on Monday that eight members of the organization — two players and six staff — have tested positive for Covid-19.

One coach tested positive late on Sunday, with the other seven players and coaches testing positive early Monday morning.

As of press time, 44 of the 46 staff, coaches and players at Seongnam had undergone tests and 36 had already tested negative for Covid-19.

“We will strictly comply with health officials, the local government and the Korea Football Association to prevent any more cases,” Seongnam reported on Monday.

The K league 1 had been on an international break since the end of May and fixtures were to resume this week, starting with a match between Seoul and Incheon United on Wednesday.

Seongnam’s return was scheduled for July 20 with a match against Incheon, but whether that game will go ahead is now unclear.

If the KFA cancels the match, this will be the third time the K league has been derailed due to Covid-19.

On May 4, eight K league 1 matches and three K League 2 matches were postponed after Hwang Hyun-soo from FC Seoul and a player from Chungnam Asan FC tested positive for Covid-19.

Because Hwang had tested positive after appearing as a substitute at a match against Seongnam, Seongnam had to postpone four games that were originally scheduled during May though no one from Seongnam had tested positive. Seongnam played three of the four rescheduled matches in June with one against the Pohang Steelers left to play on July 28.

More recently, one Jeju FC player tested positive for Covid-19 on July 6 and a match between FC Seoul and Jeju United that was originally scheduled on July 20 was canceled and is yet to be rescheduled.

“We will first review all of the test results and the extent of close contacts through epidemiological investigations before we consider whether to postpone matches,” said the KFA.

BY YUN SO-HYANG [yun.sohyang@joongang.co.kr]