Wednesday 18 March 2020 16:12, UK
La Liga side Alaves have confirmed that 15 members of their playing and coaching staff have tested positive for coronavirus.
The news comes after the Basque club revealed on Saturday that two members of their coaching staff had tested positive for the virus. None of those affected have displayed any symptoms, the club said on Wednesday.
"There have been 15 positive cases, three of which are from the Deportivo Alaves first-team squad and seven members of the coaching team," a club statement said.
"None of the Kirolbet Baskonia (the club's basketball side) squad have tested positive. There have also been five club employees who have been affected.
"The club took the decision to undertake the tests in accordance with our policy of responsibility towards people who form part of our family, and the results show that it was the best and quickest manner in which to find the cases and put the necessary preventative measures in place to reduce, in any way possible, any more spreading.
"Those who have given positive results do not have any symptoms and are well."
La Liga side Real Valladolid have formally rejected the Spanish leagues offer of coronavirus test kits for their players on ethical and medical grounds.
Spain is Europe's second-most affected country by the virus after Italy, with 558 confirmed deaths and almost 14,000 cases by Wednesday afternoon, with the country in lockdown.
Citizens are only allowed to leave their homes for essential activities such as going to the supermarket or buying medicine.
Despite elderly people and those with other health conditions considered high-risk, La Liga offered tests to the club which were declined due to medical and social reasons.
A club statement read: "No player has presented any symptoms and we believe that there are people out there who are much less well off than we are who need them far more than we do.
"It is those (people) who should have priority."
Valladolid's move comes after Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales criticised clubs for testing players for the virus.
Knowing the lives of many people are at stake it seems out of place to me to use tests on footballers when there are people that need them, Rubiales told a news conference.
The result for the player is the same, if they are positive and don't have severe symptoms they will be confined at home. Testing players seems unsupportive and absolutely anti-patriotic in these conditions.
