Real Madrid’s Mariano Diaz tests positive for COVID-19 ahead of Champions League

Real Madrid’s Mariano Diaz has COVID-19 in initial scare for Champions League.

Sports across the globe have resumed amid the coronavirus, and while some have seen challenges, soccer has seemingly taken place without a hitch. International seasons finished in Italy, Spain and England while the MLS rolls on here in America.

But in Europe, as teams leave their domestic areas for the Champions League, set to resume on August 7th, new health challenges are bound to be presented. The first of which has become apparent, as Real Madrid’s Mariano Diaz tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the team’s match with Manchester City.

Originally reported in Spanish, a translated version of the team’s message states that Diaz is in “perfect health and is complying with the protocol of isolation at home.”

While Diaz seems asymptomatic, his status for the match may be impacted due to a lack of training time beforehand. Real Madrid has been inactive since winning the La Liga title on the 19th, and to return to the field for a high stakes match against one of Europe’s best with truncated preparation, would be a tall task for Diaz.

Mariano Diaz’s positive test is evidence of the challenges Champions League will face.

Diaz has not been a particularly influential player this season, but his test is an early sign of the difficulties of pulling off Europe’s biggest completion. While things are moving as planned at the moment, if any players of noticeable stature were to test positive, doubts may begin to cast on the match’s status.

It is particularly interesting to think about what may happen if positive tests begin to occur, as the tournament’s completion is dependent upon all parties involved. Any player’s absences is detrimental, but soccer has been successful at containing cases thus far, and hopefully Diaz’s is the last to occur for the Champions League.