Emphatic measures to protect football

2020. augusztus. 27., 23:06 |

MLSZ has tightened its protective measures against the spread of coronavirus. At its executive committee meeting on Wednesday, the organisation drew up rules which will adapt to the changing scale of the emergency and effectively protect the players in the sport as well as also safeguarding the principle of competitive neutrality.

Following consultation with OTP Bank Liga Clubs, the board of the MLSZ has tightened the organisational and health regulations for the men's top-tier championship which started its new season in mid-August. This will help ensure that as few members of the top-flight structure as possible risk catching coronavirus.

Under the terms most recently announced:

- All OTP Liga clubs had to appoint an epidemiologist.

- Under a central testing system, a PCR test was to be performed on all sports professionals involved up to 72 hours before each relevant league match. Records must be kept of the tests performed, and the MLSZ should receive continuous information on the results.

- When organising each match, a sports zone had to be designated, which is used and entered according to strict rules.

- Staff working in the sports zones who do not come into direct contact with the players are, even between matches, subject to strict hygiene standards and protective measures.

The MLSZ leadership had already signalled to the clubs that the regulations would be amended during the current, special situation in order to be able to organise league and MOL Hungarian Cup matches with the least possible delay.

In the same way as the rule changes applied to football, the rules of futsal will change too, so in future, for example, a player or a professional working behind the scenes in the sport who breaks a rule while sitting on the bench may receive a yellow or even a red card. Another distinct change is that if the winner of a match is to be decided by penalty kicks, the teams will take five penalties each from this season onwards, instead of three.

MLSZ now no longer allows postponement due to a coronavirus infection, except on one occasion per team and it is no longer possible to change the new date once set.

In addition, members of the teams and staff of the teams participating in the OTP Bank Liga and the MOL Hungarian Cup are obliged to take part in PCR testing three days before each match and to inform the MLSZ of the results. The regulation defines the relevant group involved in the testing, which also includes players returning from NB III satellite clubs and teams involved in player-loan arrangements.