German club Werder Bremen will prevent its players from joining the national teams in coronavirus risk areas.
The four-time German champions announced that they will not be releasing their players to travel abroad during the upcoming international break due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Sporting Director of Die Werderaner, Frank Baumann said it was not a decision that was taken lightly.
“It wasn’t an easy decision, we know how important the national team is for a player,” Baumann said.
“We hope that it will be possible to release the players during the next international break.”
The decision comes because Bremen health authorities insist on a precautionary five-day quarantine for players returning from international risk areas.
Bremen were the first to announce that they wouldn’t release their players to their national teams traveling to COVID-19 risk areas, but they aren’t alone.
Arminia Bielefeld have since announced that they will follow suit, while Hertha Berlin and Stuttgart have said they won’t send theirs either if it means they have to go into quarantine when they return.
Both are awaiting directives from their local health authorities in the next few days.
Under a temporary FIFA rule change, clubs are not required to release their players to represent their countries if it would involve a mandatory period of self-isolation when they return.
