Despite going into Matchday 42 with the sole objectives of competing and claiming a higher position in the table, in the build-up to today's match Real Oviedo was weighing up the possibility of not taking to the field. Our way of understanding the integrity of the league, as well as the possible risks which could have arisen from putting our players' health in danger, mean we are in disagreement with the decision to have played Matchday 42 following the postponement of the fixture between RC Deportivo and CF Fuenlabrada.
We competed in today's match against Elche CF as had been scheduled in advance, and as was decided by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and LaLiga, because taking any other decision would have left us open to a sporting sanction due to the team's non-participation. It was a risk we were not prepared to take after the effort, work and investment put in to get us to where we are today.
As a show of our responsibility as a club and in the interests of looking after the health of our players and all other travelling staff, as well as our local community and our region, upon our arrival in Asturias we will undergo the relevant medical tests to confirm the good health of all members of our team.
It's clear that we still have to fight and win in the battle against Covid-19. In light of the situations we are experiencing, we remember the importance of all of the prevention measures laid out by the health authorities, as well as the protocols put in place by the Spanish Sports Council (CSD) and other governing bodies in order to allow the league season to resume. We have tried to scrupulously comply with all of these measures in all areas of our club.
