This archive report was first published on 10 May 2020.
On May 9, 2020, Turkey's Turkish Football Federation (TFF) announced that the country's domestic soccer leagues would resume without fans on June 12, after a three-month suspension.
However, just three days later, on May 12, 2020, Besiktas, one of the leading clubs in the league, revealed that one of their players and a staff member had tested positive for the coronavirus.
The club stated that all their players and coaching staff had been tested for the virus, and that the player and staff member who tested positive had begun treatment.
This news comes as Turkey starts to gradually ease lockdown measures after the virus outbreak had reached a plateau.
Other leading clubs in the league, including Trabzonspor, Galatasaray, and Fenerbahce, had also held training sessions in small groups in line with guidelines set out by the TFF.
It is worth noting that Fenerbahce had also reported a staff member testing positive for the virus, prompting the club to cancel a scheduled practice session.
