"Almost Died During First 7 Days After Infection"... Hwang Hee-chan Will Not Return This Year

Soccer player Hwang Hee-chan has contracted COVID-19 and will not be able to play on the field this year. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Nahana] Soccer player Hwang Hee-chan (24, Leipzig) has contracted the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and will not be able to play on the field this year.

Leipzig club announced on the 12th at 11:30 PM Korea time during the 2020-2021 German Bundesliga Round 11 home match against Werder Bremen, that on the 11th, Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann updated Hwang Hee-chan's condition.

Coach Nagelsmann stated, "Hwang Hee-chan is still unable to play after contracting COVID-19. He will return slowly, and it is expected that he will not come back before the new year."

Hwang Hee-chan, who participated in the national team's Austria away match, tested positive for COVID-19 in a test conducted before returning to his club after the friendly match against Qatar on the 17th of last month.

Since then, he has missed six matches, including three German Bundesliga games and three UEFA Champions League matches that Leipzig played over three weeks.

Coach Nagelsmann said, "Hwang Hee-chan experienced very severe symptoms. He said he almost died during the first seven days. His condition was very bad."

He added, "If you return to training too quickly after being infected with such a virus, it can be dangerous to the body's organs, especially the heart," showing a cautious stance regarding Hwang Hee-chan's return.

Meanwhile, Hwang Hee-chan, who scored 16 goals last season at Austria Salzburg, has scored 1 goal in 7 matches since joining Leipzig and was on the rise after scoring a goal in the Qatar match during the Korea national team's Austria away trip.