Three more PSG players found COVID-19 positive, six infected overall

Three more Paris Saint-Germain players tested positive for the coronavirus, taking the number so far to six and throwing the clubs start to the new season into chaos.

PSG announced the positive tests late on Thursday, without giving the names of the players and only saying that they are subject to the appropriate health protocol.” But sports daily LEquipe named them as defender Marquinhos, goalkeeper Keylor Navas and striker Mauro Icardi. The other three cases, confirmed by the club on Wednesday, reportedly are forward Neymar, winger Angel Di Maria and midfielder Leandro Paredes.

All six were part of a recent holiday trip to Ibiza in Spain, which was authorized, following the clubs defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League final on Aug. 23. Some players posted photos on their social network accounts, posing together with their arms around each other or with their partners.

In order to make that trip possible, PSGs opening league game of the new campaign away to Lens initially scheduled for Aug. 29 was pushed back to Sept. 10, drawing strong criticism from Lens fans.

Some observers questioned the wisdom of letting players go off on holiday during a pandemic and whether the club lacks authority over its stars.

French champion PSG is also meant to face bitter rival Marseille at home three days after the Lens game, but both could yet be postponed because of health and safety protocol.

Players put in isolation are forbidden from training with the squad or playing for 14 days after a positive test, unless they produce two negative tests within 48 hours.

Should PSGs games be postponed, the club faces a backlog of matches with the Champions League starting on Oct. 20.

The first game of the French soccer season was postponed last month because of an outbreak of COVID-19 cases at Marseille after the southern club confirmed four positive cases among its first-team players and staff.

Several other French clubs have been hit by the virus, including Montpellier, Rennes and Lyon.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Federal staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)