Red Star Belgrade says 5 players test positive for virus

Five Red Star Belgrade players have tested positive for the coronavirus, the Serbian soccer club said Monday.

The Serbian champions said in a statement that the players  Marko Gobeljic, Njegos Petrovic, Dusan Jovancic, Marko Konatar and Branko Jovicic  are feeling fine and remain in isolation.

Four of the players have displayed symptoms of COVID-19 while one has shown no symptoms, Red Star said.

The five players did not attend the match against Proleter on Saturday when the team celebrated the title, the statement said. But they were on the roster when Red Star played Partizan Belgrade in the Serbian Cup semifinals this month in front of about 20,000 fans.

Allowing fans in stadiums has drawn widespread criticism at home and abroad as Serbia continues to record nearly 100 new virus cases each day.

The huge crowds that gathered at both games did not respect social distancing rules and few wore face masks.

The club said the players' condition will be closely monitored. No other players or staff have tested positive so far.

Image credits: AP