Portuguese soccer league announces restrictions amid COVID-19 surge

Portugal’s Primeira Liga announced new COVID-19 restrictions amid outbreaks of the virus in some of its clubs, The Associated Press reported.

Officials for the league, which is the top professional soccer association in Portugal, met with health authorities as coronavirus infections in the country surged to decide on the new measures.

Fans attending league games will now be required to present proof that they have tested negative for or recovered from COVID-19, per the AP. The maximum capacity for crowds will be restricted to 5,000.

Meanwhile, Primeira Liga players will undergo COVID-19 testing 48 hours before matches and wear masks while on the bench, according to the AP.

This comes as members of the league’s Tondela club were ordered by health authorities on Wednesday morning to isolate, the AP reported. The club’s home game against Moreirense was postponed until January as a result. 

Another club, Belenenses, confirmed that 19 of its members had tested positive for the omicron variant, according to the AP. 

A defender for the Sporting CP club, Sebastián Coates, also tested positive for the virus, the wire service noted. It was not yet known when the Portuguese media reported his case how many other players had been infected.