Besiktas chairman, eight staff members test positive for coronavirus
Istanbul club Besiktas said that eight of its staff tested positive for coronavirus on Thursday as the Turkish League eyes a return in June.
Published : May 14, 2020 19:32 IST
Eight people at Istanbul giants Besiktas have tested positive for coronavirus after players and other employees underwent medical checks, the club said Thursday, a month before games resume.
The tests were conducted on footballers, technical committee members and facility staff, Besiktas said in a statement, without giving specific details on who has the virus.
The results will raise further concerns after the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) said games in the top league would resume on June 12 after they were suspended in March.
TFF chief Nihat Ozdemir said the matches would be played without spectators but this could change depending on how the pandemic evolves.
Second division club Erzurumspor said Wednesday 11 cases of COVID-19 had been recorded, including four players.
Turkey has officially recorded 143,114 cases of the new coronavirus while 3,952 people have died, according to the health minister Wednesday.
In March, Galatasaray manager Fatih Terim tested positive for the virus as well as former Turkish national team and ex-Barcelona goalkeeper Rustu Recber.
Both have since recovered.