PARIS, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- The new season of the French Ligue 1 raised its curtain on Friday, under the stormy clouds of the coronavirus pandemic, as 10-man Bordeaux held a 0-0 draw with Nantes at home in the opening match.
Bordeaux's midfielder Mehdi Zerkane was sent off after 20 minutes for a crude foul on Nicolas Pallois. But the visitors didn't create any good chances with one more player on the pitch. The two teams combined only 11 shots in the game, with only two of which on targets.
This match was not supposed to be the opener of the new campaign but did so because Marseille's home game against Saint-Etienne was postponed to September after three more COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Marseille on Tuesday, which added the total infected players in the southern France club to four.
However, the figure was refreshed again as AFP reported that the fifth case was found in the club on Friday.
The health situation of the Ligue 1 clubs seemed to have been getting worse in recent days, matching what is happening in the country where daily new cases have reached over 4,700 on Thursday, hitting the post-lockdown highest.
Besides Marseille, Saint-Etienne and Nimes also announced one more case within their squad on Friday while Nice reported two.
Nice's coach Patrick Vieira said he was concerned about the impact the two cases could have on the club.
"I felt on the pitch the rest of the squad is worried. I am too, for the match against Lens on Sunday and for what happens next," Vieira told a press conference.
"It complicates the planning. We'll have to put up with it and be very responsible at home."
Meanwhile, newly-promoted Lens, Nice's opponents on Sunday, are waiting for the result of the further test after defender Jonathan Clauss was tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week.
Over 40 French Ligue 1 players have been confirmed being infected by the virus to the date.
Ligue 1 was the only one among the top five European football leagues to have been abandoned in the 2019-2020 season as Paris Saint-Germain were declared the champions in late April when the decision was made.
Now, it became the first to start the new season but the impact and threats of the pandemic will definitely last for a long period. Enditem
