La Liga wants suspension of second division game due to COVID-19 cases

MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish soccer's organising body La Liga has asked for Sunday's second division match between Alcorcon and Ponferradina to be postponed less than 12 hours before it is scheduled to kick off due to positive COVID-19 cases.

A statement sent out after midnight on Saturday from La Liga, which organises the top two divisions in Spanish soccer, said it had asked the national federation to postpone the game after it was revealed that four members of Alcorcon's playing squad and staff had tested positive for the virus.

The end of last season in Spain's second division was thrown into chaos after a large number of players and staff of Fuenlabrada tested positive hours before their final match of the campaign against Deportivo La Coruna.

The match between Fuenlabrada and Deportivo was postponed by more than two weeks, leading to playoff matches for promotion to the top-flight also being delayed and eventually being completed only three weeks before the new season started.

(Reporting by Richard Martin; Editing by Ken Ferris)