Liga MX was one of the last leagues in the world to suspend play due to the coronavirus pandemic. The league told fans to have fun and be safe while hosting matches the weekend of March 14. While this meant unprecedented visibility around the globe for Mexico’s top flight, this week it’s being seen how foolish this endeavor may have been.
On Tuesday, Alberto Marrero, the president of Atletico San Luis, tested positive for coronavirus
Comunicado Oficial : COVID-19
— Atlético de San Luis (@AtletideSanLuis) March 18, 2020
“Nuestro presidente se encuentra bien, estable y atendiendo las indicaciones médicas, esto con el objetivo de recuperar su salud lo más pronto posible.”
“Our president is doing fine, is stable and following medical instruction, with the objective of recovering his health as quickly as possible,” read a club statement.
A few days later, another prominent figure in Liga MX tested positive.
Liga MX announced Friday night Enrique Bonilla, the league’s president, had coronavirus.
Mensaje de la Presidencia Ejecutiva de la LIGA MX / ASCENSO MX:https://t.co/4pOOTzeFBb pic.twitter.com/WyPre2Z81j
— LIGA BBVA MX (@LigaBBVAMX) March 21, 2020
“Hasta el momento, pese a las pruebas realizadas, no presento síntomas graves y permaneceré en cuarentena como me indican las autoridades de la Secretaría de Salud.
“Por supuesto, me mantendré al tanto de la situación que vive nuestro país y las alternativas y posibles soluciones para resolver la situación que atraviesa, en especial, la familia de la Liga MX / Ascenso MX.”
“So far, despite the tests carried out, I have no serious symptoms and I will remain in quarantine as indicated by the authorities of the Ministry of Health,” Bonilla wrote in a statement on the Liga MX website.
“Of course, I'll keep myself informed about the situation the country is going through and the alternative and possible solutions to resolve it, especially in the Liga MX and Ascenso MX family.”
As of Friday evening, Mexico had 203 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with two deaths. That number was more than double what it was when Marrero announced his positive test.
If Mexico is anything like the United States, coronavirus tests are hard to come by and only available for the rich and powerful or those who are extremely at-risk. This means it’s possible even more people are infected in a country of 126 million.
One thing Marrero and Bonilla have in common is that both recently traveled to Spain, an area hit hard by the pandemic. Marrero self-isolated upon his return, but Bonilla did not.
Enrique Bonilla contrajo el coronavirus en España, aparentemente. Esperemos que no se los haya contagiado a los presidentes de la liga de ascenso, ya que se reunió con ellos hace unos días.
— José Ramón Fernández (@joserra_espn) March 21, 2020
Liga MX is on indefinite leave while the country deals with coronavirus.
