Now that Spain is back to normal, it is a good time to explain how the National Team has come out of its particular state of alarm. When after 10:00 p.m. last Sunday the Federation confirmed that Sergio Busquets had tested positive for coronavirus in a PCR test, the day to day of the Spanish team changed radically. The footballers, Luis Enrique’s coaching staff and all the workers who had been in contact with the Barcelona midfielder were isolated inside the Ciudad del Fútbol de Las Rozas hotel. All eyes were on the players, but those who have really had a great role during these days in which fingers crossed every time the results of the tests arrived from the laboratory, have been the doctors of the team Óscar Celada and Juan José García Cota , in charge of directing all the protocols related to the coronavirus.
Doctors had to make decisions and fast. The first, to reinforce the already demanding protocols against the coronavirus that Spain was rigorously complying with. Luis Enrique and his boys were being more careful than what UEFA and the Ministry of Health require, all with the sole objective of keeping out of Las Rozas a virus that since March 2020 has shown us time and again that it is ungovernable and act when and how you want.
Spain woke up Monday with a mixture of negative feelings. Few understood how the virus had crept in, all feared that more infections would occur and none stopped thinking about Busquets. The captain had to leave in an ambulance to Barcelona to pass the infection. Meanwhile, the doctors had already perfectly drawn up the plan to try not to make the problem worse. For this, all the members of the selection ate, ate breakfast and dined at individual tables located outdoors. There were also three different buffets with the aim that a maximum of two players would coincide when going for food. The subject of training was also an adventure. Individual sessions, divided into three groups and at a distance of about 10 meters between player and player on the grass. What to watch videos in closed places, totally prohibited.
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At the health level, first thing in the morning all the members of the Spanish team were subjected to a PCR test. Some results that arrived after 9:00 p.m. on Monday, increasing the tension. Although the worst moment was lived on Tuesday. After the match against Lithuania, who had to play a team of the U21s, the results of the tests were still not known. It was already midnight when the last two analyzes that were yet to be known arrived: one negative, while the other, that of Diego Llorente, positive.
The doctors, who did not lose sight of a Sergio Busquets who is asymptomatically overcoming the disease, were also going to have to be very aware of Diego Llorente. And they do it like that. The central himself thanked Dr. Cota at a press conference for the follow-up he has done until it was confirmed that it was a false positive , undoubtedly one of the great news this week along with the rest of the negatives.
Seen what has been seen, everything has gone perfectly. The measures, which remain high to avoid scares, have taken effect and Spain is back to normal . On Saturday afternoon they have all returned to training together and the only thought is the game against Sweden.
The vaccine mess
Both Dr. Cota and Celada have been very important when deciding which vaccines were to be given to the members of the Spanish team . The doctors were supporters of Janssen, which is single-dose, but the government offered Pfizer.
Due to the short time between the vaccination, which was finally carried out on Friday, and the game against Sweden, the doctors feared the side effects that could appear and, for the moment, they have not reached the National Team. Therefore, they wanted to avoid at all costs that in the middle of the tournament they had to receive the second dose. Finally, and after listening to the health workers, the Federation got the players who had not had the disease to be immunized with Janssen, while those who had suffered the coronavirus received a single dose of Pfizer, since this was going to be enough.
The importance of Valdés
If the doctors have been important this week, the figure of Joaquín Valdés, a psychologist on Luis Enrique’s coaching staff, has also been very key. His action radar was widened, moving away from the coaching staff a bit and focusing on keeping troop morale high. A few days full of positivity that have taken effect. The group is united and tremendously excited to play a great role in this European Championship.
