Croatian defender Domagoj Vida replaced at half-time due to positive COVID-19 test
Croatian defender Domagoj Vida was replaced at half-time of a friendly match against Turkey due to testing positive for coronavirus, the Croatian Football Federation announced on Thursday.
Vida, 31, who plays for Turkish club Besiktas, was isolated from the rest of the team after being substituted in Wednesday's match.
Vida had tested positive three days before the game in Turkey, but it wasn't until Wednesday that he found out he was positive in another round of tests conducted by the Croatian national team prior to their match against Sweden in the UEFA Nations League on Saturday.
"The medical service of the Croatian national team received initial information at the end of half-time that there was a potentially positive result," the federation said in a statement.
Vida will undergo a 10-day quarantine period in Istanbul while the rest of the team prepares for the match against Sweden, the federation added.
Croatian media published recent photographs of Vida embracing several teammates in the national team, including midfielder Luka Modric.
Yesterday at the Vodafone Park stadium in Turkey, a friendly match was played between the Turkish national team and Croatia. At the end of the match, it was reported that Domagoj Vida, who played 45 minutes and, obviously, was in contact with all his teammates, tested positive for #Covid19 pic.twitter.com/Zvd6sfE8x7
— Nel Sandino (@nelsandino10) November 12, 2020
Turkish media also released images of Turkish players who had close contact with Vida during Wednesday's match.
Croatia, who rested most of their starting lineup, secured a 3-3 draw in that game. (D)