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Spain sets new capacity limits for sport stadiums as Covid cases surge

Spain on Wednesday imposed stricter capacity limits on sporting venues as the highly contagious Omicron variant drives record-high coronavirus cases, affecting top football clubs including Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Published: 30 December 2021 09:45 CET

capacity stadiums spain covid

Villareal and Espanyol players observe a minute of silence for the COVID-19 victims before a match last August. Photo: LLUIS GENE / AFP

Outdoor stadiums, which previously had no spectator limits, can now use up to 75 percent of their total capacity, Health Minister Carolina Darias told a press conference.

Indoor venues can use 50 percent of their capacity instead of 80 percent and wearing face masks will be compulsory, she added.

The decision comes after La Liga giants Real Madrid and Barcelona on Wednesday said more of their players tested positive as Spain reported a record-high daily Covid case total of 100,760.

Real Madrid’s Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, Uruguay midfielder Federico Valverde, French midfielder Eduardo Camavinga and Brazilian winger Vinicius Junior are all infected.

Barcelona said forward Ousmane Dembele, defender Samuel Umtiti and midfielder Gavi tested positive, with defenders Jordi Alba, Dani Alves and Clement Lenglet also contracting the virus this week.

Covid outbreaks have also affected Real Sociedad, Mallorca and Cádiz.

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Spain pledges to fix 'unacceptable' state of football federation

President Luis Rubiales resigned in disgrace last September after his forcible kiss on the lips of Women’s World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso, and is now being investigated in a corruption probe.

The only candidate to replace Rubiales, Pedro Rocha, is also being investigated, while a report from the country’s leading sports court (TAD) said the RFEF had taken decisions “beyond its remit”.

“The High Council for Sports (CSD) and the government are going to do everything in their power to rectify this unacceptable situation,” said Jose Manuel Uribes, president of the CSD and Secretary of State for Sport.

According to Spanish media, the sports court found the RFEF management committee — which stepped in after Rubiales resigned — had taken actions it was not permitted to take, including renewing men’s team coach Luis de la Fuente’s contract.

“Following the resolution (of TAD), which describes the actions of the (RFEF) president and the Management Committee in recent months as very serious, I am going to call a meeting of the board of directors in the next few days to take a decision,” said Uribes.

The CSD could then declare Rocha — vice-president under Luis Rubiales and then the RFEF’s interim chief — ineligible to be president, although he is the only candidate for the elections on May 6th.

At the heart of the corruption investigation is the lucrative contract signed by Rubiales to relocate the Spanish Supercup to Saudi Arabia.

“It is in the interests of the government that the investigation gets to the bottom of things,” added Uribes.

However, he insisted the scandals would “not at all” impact Spain’s hosting of the 2030 World Cup.

“I am speaking with FIFA nearly every day, I think there’s never been such fluid communication,” he added.

“They are certain that Spain is a country that knows how to organise things … the World Cup is not in danger.”

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