Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone and forward Antoine Griezmann have tested positive for Covid-19, as the reigning La Liga champions announced five new cases on Thursday.Atletico said Simeone and 2018 World Cup-winner Griezmann were asymptomatic and isolating along with Koke, Hector Herrera and Joao Felix.Also, four players of their city rival Real Madrid have tested positive for Covid-19 – Belgian keeper Thibaut Courtois, Uruguay midfielder Federico Valverde, French midfielder Eduardo Camavinga and Brazilian winger Vinicius Junior are all infected, the La Liga leaders said in a statement.Sun, 16.00: (5.70) GETAFE (3.80) REAL MADRID (1.70)A spokeswoman for the club declined to say how many players are currently infected with the virus but since mid-December eight other players have tested positive including Gareth Bale and Luka Modric.Their biggest rivals from Catalonia Barcelona also confirmed three new cases, bringing the total to at least nine at the Catalan club, with the league set to resume this weekend after the winter break.Sergino Dest, Philippe Coutinho and Abde Ezzalzouli join the list of players infected, the club said, after Ousmane Dembele, Clement Lenglet, Samuel Umtiti, Jordi Alba, Gavi and Dani Alves tested positive. Currently seventh in La Liga, Xavi’s men travel to Real Mallorca on Sunday.Several other Spanish clubs, including Cadiz, Real Sociedad and RCD Mallorca, have reported Covid cases but no match has yet been postponed.Sun, 18.15: (1.37) ATL. MADRID (5.00) RAYO VALLECANO (10.5)Under Liga protocols, a club must have at least 13 players, at least five of them first-teamers and one a goalkeeper, available to play a match.Vaccinated players can return as soon as they test negative.This puts Sunday’s match between Atletico Madrid and Rayo Vallecano at risk because the latter team has up to 17 infected players, according to press reports, making it the hardest-hit squad in the first division.Spain on Tuesday confirmed a record 99,671 new infections in the last 24 hours, bringing the 14-day infection rate to 1,360 cases per 100,000 residents, nearly twice the level from a week earlier.More Covid issues for Barcelona – Dembele, Gavi and Umtiti test positive© Agence France-Presse
