Salomon Kalou films himself breaking Covid-19 rules with Hertha teammates | Football

The Bundesliga’s hopes of returning to action this month have suffered a blow after the Hertha Berlin forward Salomon Kalou posted a video on Facebook of him breaking physical distancing rules with his teammates.

The two top divisions in Germany, which have been suspended because of the coronavirus outbreak, have been working towards resuming in May but Kalou’s ill-advised video may lead to a backlash.

The former Chelsea forward was seen shaking hands with teammates and interrupting a medical checkup of one Hertha player. Kalou has since deleted the video. Hertha have yet to comment on the incident.

The German football league said on Monday there were 10 positive tests for the coronavirus among 36 clubs in the Bundesliga and second division, adding that 1,724 tests for Covid-19 were carried out over two rounds among players and staff.

Cologne previously reported three positive cases, while second-division Stuttgart had reported one inconclusive result. The tests were part of the DFLs hygiene concept, which says teams will also undertake a a mandatory training camp under quarantine conditions before a return to playing.

Testing will continue regardless of whether competitive games restart or not. The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, and 16 state governors have postponed a decision until Wednesday on whether the Bundesliga can resume without fans present. German clubs are committed to finishing the season by the end of June.