The Hertha Berlin striker posted a clip to Facebook showing him breaking social distancing regulations as the Bundesliga attempts to return
Former Chelsea striker Salomon Kalou has provoked anger after posting a video online showing him breaking a series of strict social distancing restrictions put in place amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The forward, now with Hertha Berlin, did a live video showing him arriving at the club’s training ground as Bundesliga teams prepare for the possible resumption of the German top-flight season.
The German football league (DFL) have put a series of rules in place so that teams can try and prepare for the league resumption safely, however in the now-deleted video, Kalou appears to break many of them.
In the clip, the Ivorian enters the Hertha locker room and says hello to several players by offering a handshake. He also runs into a teammate, defender Jordan Torunarigha, being tested for Covid-19. The doctor tells him he should not be in the same room during this procedure, but Kalou stayed regardless.
The 34-year-old also filmed himself in conversation with fellow striker Vedad Ibisevic, who complains about having his salary cut amid the coronavirus pandemic.
It comes just a few days after, in a TV interview with BBC Sport Africa, Kalou said: “We all love football, on the pitch, in front of the TV. But we shouldn’t put anyone at risk just because we love the game.”
The Bundesliga is aiming to be the first major European league to return after the coronavirus lockdown, however, concerns remain that they are attempting a return to normality too quickly.
On Monday afternoon, the DFL announced that 10 of the first round of 1,724 tests for Covid-19 at the 36 professional clubs in the top two tiers of German football had been positive. This included three positive tests at Koln, one of Hertha Berlin’s Bundesliga rivals.
They say the second wave of tests has already started, but according to reports in Germany have asked clubs not to publish the results as they did with the first round.
Bundesliga clubs returned to training on April 6 with players required to work individually or in small groups.
Kalou, who played for Chelsea between 2006 and 2012, featured five times in the Bundesliga this season before it was paused due to coronavirus, scoring one goal.
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