Portugal-Italy canceled due to two covid-19 cases in national team
The game for the third of the third and fourth places of the European roller hockey between Portugal and Italy, taking place in Paredes, was canceled this Saturday due to two cases of covid-19 in the Portuguese team.
“The technical committee of World Skate Europe informs that the game of third and fourth places between Portugal and Italy has been canceled due to public health reasons”, informed the European roller hockey federation on its official account on the social network Twitter.
Minutes earlier, the Portuguese Skating Federation had reported two positive cases of covid-19 among Portuguese hockey players.
“At the end of this morning, after one of the athletes of the national team had an axillary temperature of 38ºC, the Covid-19 Contingency Plan of the National Roller Hockey Team was activated. The testing of all the elements of the delegation resulted in the detection of two positive cases, which were immediately reported to the health authorities, to the DGS [Direção-Geral da Saúde] and the organization of the European Championship”, can be read on the official website of the body.
According to the source of the Portuguese Skating Federation, João Rodrigues and Henrique Magalhães tested positive in the early afternoon and, according to the same source, the game was scheduled to take place.
However, an Italian team, at the entrance to Multiusos de Paredes, and after knowing the positive cases of the Portuguese team, refused to take the tests required by the health delegate, the source added, because this situation led to the cancellation of the meeting.
The organization is in contact with the teams from Spain and France so that they can undergo tests in view of the final dispute, scheduled for 20:00.
At Multiusos de Paredes, a national team presented itself to the public, with Hélder Nunes taking the floor to apologize to all those who were in the pavilion.
“We ask you to understand […] it’s something we can’t do anything”, said the Portuguese hockey player, before thanking the audience for their support and regretting the outcome of the Portuguese performance: “We wanted more, we wanted more than third place. It was not possible, the third was also not possible for health reasons”.
Portugal finished third in the group stage of the European Championship, with the same 10 points as Spain and France, but at a disadvantage in direct confrontation.
Today, the Portuguese team, vice-champion of the previous European, would fight Italy for third place, before the Spanish and French face each other, from 20:00, for the European title.