Ligue 1 season opener postponed after Marseille Covid-19 cases

Four people at the French club have now shown up positive for coronavirus

(FILES) This file photograph taken on October 20, 2019, shows a general view of The Velodrome Stadium prior to the French L1 football match between Olympique de Marseille (OM) and Racing Club de Strasbourg Alsace (RCS) in Marseille, southern France. The three suspected cases of Covid-19 (novel coronavirus) within the Olympique de Marseille team have been confirmed, the club announced on Twitter on August 18, 2020, threatening the holding of the opening match of Ligue 1 on August 21, against Saint-Etienne. / AFP / Boris HORVAT

A general view of the Stade Velodrome, home of French Ligue 1 club Marseille. AFP

Aug 18, 2020

The Ligue 1 season opener on Friday has been postponed after three more positive Covid-19 tests were reported by Marseille, who were due to face Saint-Etienne.

Four people at the French club have now shown up positive for coronavirus.

epa08595609 (FILE) - Dortmund's Jadon Sancho celebrates after scoring during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and 1. FC Union Berlin in Dortmund, Germany, 01 February 2020, re-issued 10 August 2020. Sancho will play in Dortmund for at least one more year, because the personal change period has expired. Sancho's contract (until 2022) has already been adjusted one year ago without public announcement and extended prematurely until 2023. The fact that Sancho could now exert pressure from his side to force a change at a later date is ruled out by Borussia and the player's agency, as reported on 10 August 2020. EPA/FRIEDEMANN VOGEL CONDITIONS - ATTENTION: The DFL regulations prohibit any use of photographs as image sequences and/or quasi-video. *** Local Caption *** 55840604

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Marseille said on Tuesday that all cases had been reported to the LFP, the body that runs professional football in France.

The LFP later confirmed that Friday's match was postponed, to be played on either September 16 or 17 "subject to changes in sanitary conditions within the Olympique de Marseille club".

Andre Villas-Boas' side cancelled a friendly on August 14 against Stuttgart of Germany as a precaution.

Fellow Ligue 1 side Nimes announced two new suspected cases in its squad and all employees have been put in isolation pending test results.

Nimes had hosted Marseille on August 9 in a friendly.

The new Covid-19 cases brings the total to at least 37 known cases in Ligue 1 in recent weeks.

The vast majority contracted the virus after resuming training in June, leading to quarantine and a flurry of cancelled pre-season matches.

Two matches slated for this weekend - Paris Saint-Germain against Metz and Montpellier against Lyon - had already been cancelled because PSG and Lyon are playing Champions League semi-finals in Portugal.