Chinese FA hires epidemiologists ahead of new season

The Chinese Football Association (CFA) announced that they have hired three leading medical experts to provide advice on starting the new season, which was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In order to start the 2020 season of Chinese Super League (CSL), the CFA invited renowned epidemiologist Zhang Wenhong, who is the head of Shanghai's COVID-19 clinical experts team, and two other doctors as the association's anti-epidemic experts.

According to the CFA, they will provide suggestions on an Epidemic Prevention Guidebook of Professional Leagues, which was drafted in preparation for resuming football in China.

"The virus have been under control in China and the overall environment is safe. Insisting on regular COVID-19 tests and strengthening management could help the leagues proceed safely," Zhang said.

The new CSL season, which was originally scheduled to kick off on February 22, is hopefully to start in late June or early July, following the restart of the country's major basketball league, the CBA, on June 20.

Meanwhile, the Chinese side finished the 34-day long training camp on Monday after going through an obligatory two-week quarantine.

The Chinese team flew back to China on March 23 from the training camp, which kicked off in Dubai on March 3, before being put under the 14-day quarantine in Sanya, Hainan province.