Hertha Berlin’s Polish striker Krzysztof Piatek will have to self-isolate and miss their opening game of the new season after travelling with his national team to Bosnia for a Nations League match, the Bundesliga club said Monday.
Bosnia is on the list of countries considered by Germany to be at a higher risk area of COVID-19 and Piatek must spend 14 days in quarantine on his return although this will be reduced to five if he can produce a negative test.
Piatek played in Poland’s match away to the Netherlands on Friday and Hertha said there was an agreement with the Polish Federation that he would not travel to Bosnia for Monday’s game.
However, Polish media said this was denied by the Polish federation.
“Krzysztof was caught between two stools,” Hertha coach Bruno Labbadia told reporters.
“He knows that it is a catastrophe for him that he has to be in quarantine for five days at the start of the season. Of course, he doesn’t like that at all.
“We are his employer but on the other hand, he is playing for his country. This is a situation you shouldn’t put players in.”
Hertha kick off the season away to Eintracht Braunschweig on Friday.
(Writing by Brian Homewood, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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