Serie A, Scandinavian players won't be allowed to play international football; here's why

A host of football players are set to miss out on international duty as the rising cases of COVID-19 throw up health challenges for travel. Despite club football continuing this season, many clubs have seen COVID-19 outbreaks occur, with several players testing positive for the virus. With lockdowns once again being enforced in Europe, media reports have revealed that players playing for Serie A clubs and Scandinavian countries will not be allowed to play international football during the break.

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Serie A clubs to prevent players from playing international fixtures

Serie A has been one of the leagues worst affected by COVID-19 in recent weeks. Numerous players have tested positive for the virus, with teams like Lazio having to quarantine the entire squad due to a safety threat. The league has also seen several games being called off as clubs struggle to control the COVID-19 outbreak within their squads.

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In light of the recent developments, it was disclosed that players from as many as six Serie A clubs have been barred from joining their national squads for the November international break. The list of clubs that have asked their players to skip international football includes Roma, Inter Milan, Fiorentina, Genoa, Sassuolo and Lazio.

With the clubs having at least one squad member who has tested positive for COVID-19, the other players have been asked to self-isolate for 10 days before they can join their national team for the upcoming international fixtures. 

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According to reports, Italian health authorities want to avoid a repeat of what happened during the last international break, where players like Cristiano Ronaldo ended their self-isolation period early to join up with their national teammates. With Cristiano Ronaldo testing positive for COVID-19 while on international duty, many fans and pundits expressed their doubts about whether international football was safe to play during the pandemic. 

Premier League players asked to skip international football as well

While local authorities have directed Serie A players to avoid travelling for the international fixtures, a similar development has taken place for players hailing from Scandinavian countries. Denmark has seen a rise in COVID-19 cases, particularly due to concerns about a mutated version of coronavirus being observed in minks. Therefore, the UK government’s COVID-19 rules for Denmark have put the participation of Danish players in doubt.

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According to the current rules, Danish players from Premier League clubs will not be returning home to play international football to avoid having to self-isolate for 14 days upon their return to England. Media reports revealed that the Premier League has asked clubs to not release players scheduled to travel to Denmark in light of the UK government’s decision to ban all non-UK arrivals from Denmark.

In light of the recent changes, the Danish football association admitted that it doesn’t expect Danish players playing in the Premier League to join up with the national squad for the upcoming fixtures.

Image Credits: Inter Milan Instagram, Leicester City Instagram