translated from Spanish: FIFA Doctor: “I don’t think there are team competitions in 2020”

Gerinaldo Martínez, a Panamanian physician and member of the FIFA Medical Commission, finds it difficult for national team competitions to the remainder of 2020, so the ‘Red’ would only begin on its way to the Qatar 2022 World Cup in 2021.The doctor referred to how tight the global football calendar will be , stopped since March by the outbreak and spread of the coronavirus. Against this stage, Martínez believes that no competitions will be played at the level of selections in the remains of this year.” You should keep in mind that it’s not the same as FIFA says, regarding leagues. FIFA speaks more on the subject of selections. Surely, I don’t think there’s any kind of competition at the selection level, in the remainder of the year. Which means traveling and concentrating, because it’s a risk. The league thing is different and it’s in line with what the health authority says,” he said in dialogue with La Cuarta.” There are phases that are shared across almost all protocols. First, individual or solitary training. Then there is a group practice phase, with up to eight players, separated by a certain distance, in three sessions: eight, eight and eight. And then comes the collective training, which could only be done a little later. What is recommended is that you start training 28 days before the start of each tournament,” he added. In addition, the doctor said that a return to competition will depend on how the situation evolves in each country and the health authorities.” Here the important thing is that each country, each league, must determine its date according to its health and economic reality. Each country and group of doctors are developing return protocols. A lot of them have things in common, obviously. Like the training phases, the laboratories that will do the tests or hygiene and disinfection measures of the chambers. This is very similar for everyone. Thus, the return will depend on the reality of each country,” he said. Asked whether Germany is at risk of the Bundesliga’s resumption this weekend, Martínez noted that “it all depends on the reality of each country. Everything goes about how the country is in the health side, in terms of cases, respect for quarantines and in terms of the risks of each country. In Germany they know why they will, but it must always have the approval of health authority. That’s where it all happens.”” The FIFA Medical Committee has not yet raised any official documents. A couple of weeks ago, Belgian Doctor Michel D’Hooghe, our head of the committee, said in England that he advised that all leagues should not start before 1 September. But it was only an opinion of him, it turns out that the media headlined that ‘THE FIFA medical committee recommends that date,’ he said.

Original source in Spanish