All Ekstraklasa players in good health. The schedule of the first matchweeks announced

All Ekstraklasa players in good health. The schedule of the first matchweeks announced

The players and members of training staffs reported by the PKO Bank Polski Ekstraklasa football clubs have successfully passed the COV-19 virus tests. All the clubs have also got consent for resumption of team trainings and went back to playing.

- We already have the results of all the tests. They are very optimistic. In 800 of those tested, only one test result indicated tentatively an active COVID-19 infection, affirmed in two subsequent tests. However, it had no bearings on the club, because the person was neither a player nor a member of the training staff – said Professor Krzysztof Pawlaczyk, member of the Medical Commission of the Polish Football Association and medical expert of the Ekstraklasa. – We succeeded in early tracking that case thanks to ongoing analysis of our medical surveys. The person has not had any contacts with the players. It only shows that our introduction of sports isolation and daily medical questionnaires makes a good sense. The clubs have to strictly adhere to the procedure until the last games of the season - added he.

Still four players who have returned to Poland have to pass the tests. In accordance with the sanitary procedures introduced by the government, they are now in the mandatory 14-day quarantine, and in isolation from the other football team members.

- We are Poland’s first group who have undergone so comprehensive tests at such a scale. The plan prepared by Ekstraklasa and the Polish Football Association (PZPN) approved by the governmental officials has proved effective. So we went through the first stage. Now, it’s time to resume trainings while continuing to observe the recommendations so that we can start the games in late May - said Marcin Animucki, President of Ekstraklasa S.A. – I would like to thank all the clubs for their cooperation on this not easy and completely novel to the football world task, which the resumption of the games in the face of the COVID-19 pandemics is. Many clubs have been directly involved in the preparation of the plan for resumption of the games within the sports and the medical group of Ekstraklasa. I would particularly like to thank doctors of the Medical Commission: Professor Krzysztof Pawlaczyk of Lech Poznań, doctor Jacek Worobcow of Zagłębie Lubin and doctor Jacek Jaroszewski, physician of the Polish football representation, who executed the entire testing process. I would also like to thank all the other people of the Polish Football Association who were involved in the process, in particular Mr Łukasz Wachowski - added he.
 

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Ekstraklasa resumption schedule approved

Already on 25 April, Ekstraklasa got the green light from Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki to get prepared for the resumption of the games. The games of PKO Bank Polski Ekstraklasa will start on 29 May 2020 and end on 18 - 19 July 2020.

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Who with whom and when?

Since we now can move on to another phase of preparation to the league games, Ekstraklasa published a schedule of the next two matchweeks. As already announced, the league games will be resumed on 29 May, when matches: Śląsk Wrocław vs. Raków Częstochowa and Pogoń Szczecin vs. KGHM Zagłębie Lubin, are scheduled and will be broadcast by CANAL+. The PKO Bank Polski Ekstraklasa’s 27th matchweek games: Lech Poznań vs. Legia Warszawa scheduled for Saturday 30 May 8.00 p.m., and the meeting: Pogoń Szczecin vs. Cracovia, falling exactly one week later, also at 8.00 p.m., will be broadcast by TVP Sport in the open band.

- In agreement with Canal+ and TVP, we prepared a plan for the broadcasting of the games of the two forthcoming matchweeks. Specific schedule of all the matchweeks until the end of the season will be published after 12th May. The last matchweek of the main round has been scheduled on 14th June, and the season’s end on 18 - 19 July, the dates of the games of the 37th matchweek in two groups. The next games of the main round will be played in the order as envisaged in the existing schedule. Until the end of the season, all the players and training staffs reported by the clubs will undergo strict training-medical procedures so that the games may be safely completed – said Marcin Stefański, Head of Competition of Ekstraklasa S.A.

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Ekstraklasa resumption schedule approved

Outside of Poland live matches are available on Ekstraklasa TV OTT platform. Wherever in the World, Ekstraklasa TV services (in varying scope: Highlights for Poland; Live Matches outside of Poland) can be accessed via the desktop service and iOS mobile application, available via smartphones, laptops and tablets. Smart.TV apps are under way. Live matches are not available in Bosnia and Herzegovine, Serbia, Croatia, Kosovo, Monenegro, Slovenia and North Macedonia. In those countries, you are welcome to watch matches on the Planet Sport TV channel.

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