It’s official – the NBI returns this month!
The MLSZ have announced the return of the NBI, Magyar Kupa and women’s NBI albeit with understandable strict regulations attached.
Key Dates:
23rd May – Magyar Kupa Semi Final 1st leg.
27th May – Magyar Kupa Semi Final 2nd leg.
– Újpest v Ferencváros NBI (postponed match from MD 20)
30th May – NBI Match Day 26
Statement from the MLSZ (Reproduced below in relation to the NBI – for NBII, NBII, Women’s matches & county leagues please follow the link for the full statement from the MLSZ)
According to the plans, under strict health regulations, the football season will continue with the first matches of the semi-finals of the Hungarian Cup on May 23, and the men’s NB I championship can continue with the 26th round on May 30. In women’s NB I, only the matches necessary to decide to enter the BL will be held. Mass contact remains a serious threat, so the season for futsal and outdoor amateur and youth championships is coming to an end.
According to the decision of the presidency on Monday, the OTP Bank League will continue with the 26th round, and the men’s Hungarian Cup will continue with the semi-finals, as well as they will play the matches that make it to the BL in the Simple Women’s League. The first round of the Hungarian Cup semi-final will be held on May 23, and the rematches will be held on May 27. The date of the final of the Hungarian Cup is June 2. In the OTP Bank League, the two previously missing champions of Ferencváros will be played in the same period as the semi-finals of the Hungarian Cup, then the tournament will start again on May 30 with the 26th round. The tournament is scheduled to be completed by the end of June, with at least 3 days between a team’s two league matches.
From the men’s highway championships, for the NB II and NB III tournaments, the promoters and relegers will be selected on the basis of the final table of the missed championships, as well as the promoters from the first divisions of the county to NB III.
In order not to increase the number of contacts drastically at the national level, all further national and county championships, cups and grassroots tournaments will be closed. Teams will not play more matches. The tables are recorded in their current state and there is no official final result, no rankings, no promotion and elimination based on the final result, teams do not receive medals and diplomas.
Protecting the health of athletes and staff is a key task, and clubs need to focus significant energies in this situation. The medical committee of the MLSZ has drawn up a detailed health and examination protocol, the draft of which the association has informed the clubs concerned in advance. According to this, after the initial, comprehensive medical examination, the teams must be tested for corona virus twice a week or before each match on the players and everyone who comes in contact with them. Those who test positive must be separated from healthy players, and others can continue to play sports after taking an extraordinary test or a negative result.
According to another regulation enacted by the MLSZ, only the essentially necessary persons can be admitted to the stadium for closed goal matches and they can only be admitted to the stadium in a minimal number, in the immediate vicinity of the teams. Within the stadium, the playground must be strictly separated from the auditorium with the changing rooms (sports zone). Only people who have passed the coronavirus test immediately before the match and have a negative result may enter the sports zone. The auditorium area is open to media staff, stadium operators, essential service staff, and representatives of club leaders and sponsors. They are not required to take the test, but must declare asymptomatic and strictly adhere to the general regulations in the stadium area. Only the minimum number of people required to enter the auditorium zone. Both zones can be entered into the stadium based on a pre-compiled list.
As it is known, by the decision of the presidency of MLSZ on April 24, in case of emergency measures taken due to the coronavirus epidemic, adult outdoor championships qualifying for international cups can start again 20 days after the decision to relax. Following the government’s decision on April 30, it became possible to restart football leagues.
Prior to the resumption of the tournaments, the MLSZ sought the views of the National Chief Medical Officer and the Operational Staff on the appropriate defense. The association will continue to fully comply with governmental and epidemiological bodies.
Medical testing requirements
To test participants in training sessions and matches, the MLSZ has established strict regulations that apply between 5 May and the last day of the tournament. There will be three stages of testing.
In the first stage, before the workouts begin, players undergo a complex three-part health test. This includes the so-called PCR test, the serological test and a comprehensive medical examination. The PCR test shows whether the person is infected at the time of the test; whoever is positive will be quarantined. The second test examines whether the subject has previously had the disease, and after a comprehensive medical examination, it is determined whether the player is in a physical condition suitable for sports. Anyone who did not pass the opening test cannot take part in the group training sessions.
In the preparation phase, which runs from the resumption of training sessions to betting matches , players, coaches and everyone else who is present at the training sessions with the team and staff must be tested twice a week. These tests must all be carried out at the same time and must not take more than 96 hours between two samples.
In the third stage, which begins immediately before the start of the series, the PCR test must be carried out 24-36 hours before each league match on the footballers and the club staff who come into contact with them, as well as on the participants (persons entering the sports zone).
If someone tests positive, they should be isolated immediately and then quarantined for 14 days according to general regulations. His return is possible after 48 hours of asymptomatic time and two negative tests.
The clubs received detailed information from the MLSZ about further health protection recommendations and proposed procedures.
Rules for the organization of matches
The MLSZ supplemented the regulations on the organization of closed goalie matches prescribed by law with the following.
According to a government decree, a maximum of 500 people can stay in the entire area of the stadium, but in order to minimize health risks, clubs must keep the number of entrants to a minimum.
The organizing club must send the MLSZ a list of those entitled to enter the stadium one day before the matches, and the usual preparatory work must be completed no later than one hour before the teams arrive at the stadium.
The stadium must be divided by the organizing club into two non-contact areas (zones) at a considerable distance from each other.
One of the zones includes the playground, changing rooms, player exit and all the rooms that are essential for the match. Only players, members of the professional team, the referees and the technical staff strictly necessary for the organization of the match are allowed to stay here. This zone can only be entered by a person who has passed the required test no more than 24-36 hours before the match and the result is negative.
To the other zone on the one hand, a limited number of journalists accredited by the organizing club, TV staff, operating staff, firefighters, etc., on the other hand, official leaders, owners, members and sponsor guests of sports organizations may enter. In both zones of the stadium, general epidemiological rules must be observed (eg number of people in the room of the given size, wearing a medical mask, hygiene regulations, etc.). that they have no symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 disease. Those entering the zone must adhere strictly to the general epidemiological rules. Not only individuals but also clubs are responsible for complying with these standards by creating the conditions.
Crossing between zones in a given match is strictly forbidden! In all cases, the home club is responsible for ensuring proper separation.
The measures serve the interests and protection of the health of the football community, the club organizing the match is responsible for their observance, and any violations of the rules will result in disciplinary proceedings.