On April 23rd 2020, UEFA announced it was pushing the Women’s European Championship back by 12 months to July 2022.

The reason? Just weeks prior to the decision, COVID-19 had forced the majority of the world into lockdown. Sport was brought to a standstill, with Euro 2020 and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games moved to the following summer.

As a result, UEFA thought it prudent to delay Euro 2022, and they were correct.

The men’s tournament took place last year under attendance-limiting COVID-19 restrictions, and it would have certainly overshadowed the women’s event if played at the same time.

But, if given the ability to see into the future, UEFA officials in 2020 would surely have been shocked to learn that COVID-19 was still having an impact on Euro 2022.

Six players from seven countries have now tested positive for coronavirus during the tournament, including Vivianne Miedema and Jackie Groenen of the Netherlands, German striker Lea Schüller and English defender Lotte Wubben-Moy.

Tuija Hyyrynen of Finland, Austrian defender Laura Wienroither and Italian midfielder Valentina Cernoian are the tournament’s remaining COVID-19 cases.

There has been protocol in place since the start of the tournament, with media required to wear masks in press conferences and mixed zones.

But elsewhere things have been rather relaxed, with the majority of players shaking hands with their opponents before kick-off and embracing each other following the final whistle.

With European glory on the line, however, managers may look into imposing stricter rules on their players.

What impact could COVID-19 have on Euro 2022?

So far, COVID-19 cases have been limited to one or two players per team, and infection has not spread through the squad.

But such an eventuality is not impossible, and if it does happen, it could be disastrous.

Under UEFA regulations, nations are unable to bring in a replacement for players with coronavirus.

It would only take a handful of COVID-19 cases, plus a few injuries, for a manager to start to sweat about being unable to field the mandatory minimum of 13 players, including one goalkeeper.

If a team is unable to do this, there is provision for a match to be "rescheduled within the next 48 hours by the UEFA administration”.

But if the game can’t be played, it will be forfeited and the team will automatically be knocked out from Euro 2022.

The Netherlands will surely be the most nervous about this scenario. With Miedema and Groenen currently out with coronavirus, the Dutch side also have goalkeeper Sari van Veenendaal and Aniek Nouwen on the sidelines through injury.

But it was Germany’s manager, Martina Voss-Tecklenburg, who made a pertinent point about UEFA's rules.

While countries at Euro 2020 were able to have 26-man squads to cover losses from COVID-19 cases, squads at Euro 2022 are limited to 23 players.

"We asked UEFA ahead of the tournament to bring 26 players instead of just 23,” Voss-Tecklenburg said. “Our request was denied, even though it was granted for the men's Euros.

“The Netherlands, for example, have two players with severe injuries and where they might also have a Covid case and they won't be able to bring in replacement players. That is not my understanding of fair play."

"As an athlete it does not make sense to me. I urge UEFA to reconsider this for the next tournaments or perhaps even, due to the current situation, to implement this change now like other sports associations have done. I really wanted to get this off my chest."

“Scared of getting Covid”

Playing at a major international tournament is often the pinnacle of a player’s career, and missing it through injury or illness would be devastating.

A positive COVID-19 test would subsequently be the stuff of nightmares for any player, with Finland's head coach Anna Signeul confirming it was a source of fear among her squad.

"Of course, all players are scared of getting Covid,” she said. “That's for sure, you could be missing a once-in-a-lifetime experience, a dream come true, and of course the players want to be fit.”

Signeul also urged players to take “more care”, suggesting she was unhappy with the relaxed approach taken by many.

"We need to take so much more care. We make sure we wear masks all the time, and that we are keeping distance. We did a huddle after training with two metres distance. All the teams need to do that."

With COVID-19 cases at Euro 2022 rising, it is likely that many managers will follow suit and take precautionary measures to prevent an outbreak among their players.

To exit a tournament due to the performance on the pitch is one thing, but to be knocked out because key players are suffering with COVID-19 would be excruciatingly frustrating.