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| South Korean professional football players. (Photo from RNZ) |
[Asia News Communication = Reporter Reakkana] SEOUL -- All members of the top two divisions in South Korean professional football have tested negative for the novel coronavirus, the league office said Friday. The announcement from the Korea Professional Football League (K League) came on the eve of the opening kickoff for the 2021 season.
The K League 1 season starts at 2 p.m. Saturday with a match between the four-time defending champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and FC Seoul. For the K League 2, Gyeongnam FC and FC Anyang will kick things off at 1:30 p.m. Saturday. All players, coaches, front office staff, match officials and league officials were tested over a seven-day period starting on Feb. 17. The K League said the number totaled 1,052 individuals, and they all tested negative.
Every two weeks starting in April, five players from each club will be tested. It will add up to 17 rounds of tests, the K League said, as it hopes to identify asymptomatic COVID-19 patients. In a board of directors meeting held Wednesday, the K League decided the season could be suspended for at least two weeks if players or coaches test positive for COVID-19. After any schedule changes, the 2021 season will finish no later than Dec. 19, the K League said.
