Latest news with #viralmeningitis
Washington Post
a day ago
- Sport
- Washington Post
Spain star Bonmati making 'very positive' progress after meningitis, could play Euro 2025 opener
BERN, Switzerland — Spain star Aitana Bonmatí is making good progress after recovering from viral meningitis and might even be available for the world champion's opening match at the Women's European Championship , coach Montse Tomé said Wednesday. The two-time Ballon d'Or winner's participation in the tournament was in doubt last week when she was hospitalized after falling ill with a fever late Friday, but she rejoined the squad Monday and took part in training Tuesday.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Bonmati back with Spain after meningitis treatment
Midfielder Aitana Bonmati has joined up with Spain's Euro 2025 squad in Switzerland after having treatment for viral meningitis. The 27-year-old missed the 3-1 friendly win over Japan in Leganes last week after missing training and being taken to hospital in Madrid to be treated. Bonmati, who has won the past two Ballon d'Ors, was discharged from hospital on Sunday but is unlikely to play in Spain's opening group game against Portugal in Bern on Thursday."[Bonmati] is so important for us and we will wait for her, whatever happens, until the end," said Spain coach Montse European Championship starts on Wednesday, with World Cup winners Spain the favourites to win the tournament. Barcelona's Bonmati has scored 30 goals in 78 games for her country and was a key member of the side that won the 2023 World Cup and 2024 Nations is an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord and can be serious if not treated meningitis is less serious than the rarer bacterial variant and most cases improve on their own within seven to 10 days and can often be treated at home.
New York Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Aitana Bonmati's illness is a cruel blow for Spain, who have been here before on the eve of a Euros
'Aitana (Bonmati) has viral meningitis,' Montse Tome announced after Spain's final pre-European Championship friendly, against Japan. 'She is a very important player and we will wait for her until the end.' This is how Tome announced Bonmati's hospitalisation just a few days before the start of the Euros in Switzerland. While her team-mates were in action on Friday, Bonmati shared a photo on Instagram showing herself lying in a hospital bed. Advertisement Neither the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) nor the player's entourage have given a timeline for her return, and the priority right now is for her to recover well, understanding that her health must come first. But what does this mean for her and for Spain? The reality is there is now a significant question mark over what role — if any — she will be able to play at these Euros. According to the British National Health Service, viral meningitis typically takes seven to 10 days to fully recover from. Her progress will determine her return, and Tome is prepared to wait for her. Pending developments in the coming days, it should be noted that Article 57.04 of the UEFA competition regulations would allow Spain to replace the player up to 24 hours before the tournament begins on Wednesday. Spain's first match is against Portugal on Thursday. Tome will now have to consider what happens if she loses one of her most important players, the Ballon d'Or winner. Vicky Lopez is the most natural direct replacement in the starting XI, or Tome might consider using Mariona Caldentey in a more withdrawn role. In a way, this is a kind of deja vu from 2022. Back then, one day before the start of the Euros in England, then Ballon d'Or holder Alexia Putellas injured her anterior cruciate ligament and had to withdraw from the squad. Now, while it is true that Bonmati has not been injured and could recover in time to be available for the group stage, her presence is still unknown. It is inevitable that parallels will be drawn with what happened at that time, given the importance of both players and the fact it is the same competition, the only major football tournament Spain have yet to win. Missing out on the Euros would be a huge blow for Bonmati, as she would lose the opportunity — for now at least — to add the only major title she has not won. With Barcelona, she has won everything at club level and also individually, including the past two Ballons d'Or. Advertisement For Spain, the loss would be huge. Bonmati is a player who rises to the occasion. She thrives in big games and, even in a season that was not her best in Liga F, she was named the best player in the Champions League. Bonmati has great vision, is capable of seeing spaces where no one else can and is one of the most ambitious minds on the team. She is a player with the ability to unbalance opponents and break through defensive lines with passes and dribbling. Given the style of play of Tome's team, this would be a particularly significant loss due to the position Bonmati plays. Midfield is the hallmark of both Barca and Spain and their three midfielders set the tempo, create the play and provide the balance between attack and defence. All their play goes through them. There is, at least, some consolation for Tome. Patri Guijarro is back in the national team — she missed the World Cup due to the 'Las 15' controversy, in which 15 players asked not to be called up until there were changes in the RFEF — and Putellas has regained her form and put her injury and the physical problems that came with it firmly behind her, so Bonmati's absence would be less noticeable now than it would have been at the World Cup. Back then, there was no Guijarro and Putellas was a bit-part player as she worked her way back from injury. Even so, Bonmati is a decisive player and her absence would be a significant problem for Spain. While it might boost other teams' prospects, losing the world's best player would also be a significant blow for the tournament as a whole. Now, we all wait to see how quickly she recovers.
New York Times
6 days ago
- Health
- New York Times
Spain's Aitana Bonmati diagnosed with viral meningitis ahead of Euro 2025
Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmati has been diagnosed with viral meningitis ahead of this summer's European Championship, her head coach Montse Tome has confirmed. On Friday night, the 27-year-old Barcelona midfielder posted a photo of herself watching Spain's 3-1 defeat of Japan in a pre-tournament friendly from a hospital bed with a cannula in her arm. Advertisement Bonmati, who has won each of the two most recent women's Ballon d'Or awards for the best footballer in the world, is a key player for Spain, who play Portugal in their tournament opener on July 3. 'Aitana was feverish the previous night, the next day she did not get better,' Tome said on Friday. 'She was tired, we let her rest and then this morning the doctor took her to run some tests, at first the tests came back normal but the last test — and by the way she has authorised me to talk about this — shows that she has viral meningitis. 'She is under medical supervision, I know that this is an alarming situation but the doctor is telling me that she is being taken care of, she is in the hospital, we do not know for how long, but she wanted me to communicate the situation with you all. This is all I can share at this time.' Viral meningitis is the most common and least serious type of the disease, as opposed to bacterial meningitis. It is an inflammation of the protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. According to the British National Health Service (NHS), viral meningitis typically takes seven to 10 days to fully recover from. Spain, the reining world champions, are among the favourites for Euro 2025 with Bonmati part of a midfield trio alongside club team-mates Patri Guijarro and Alexia Putellas ()
