CPL’s international players tackle unique difficulties of self-isolation during pandemic

2020-05-14

Marty Thompson, Digital Content Editor (@martythompson_)

This period of self-isolation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic has had a wide-ranging effect on our psyches. Not being able to visit family or friends in person for weeks and months on end can be difficult, even in this age of video and Zoom chats.

Compound that struggle with being an international, globe-trotting footballer – away from their families, separated by borders and varying threats of COVID-19.

The living situations of the 42 internationals destined to compete for Canadian Premier League clubs in 2020 are a mixed bag. Some players are in their home nations, others are executing stay-at-home orders in Canada, a country they barely know.

Forge FC signee Paolo Sabak has had an extraordinary journey to the CPL, with self-isolation being its final stop. After taking two COVID-19 tests in early March, Sabak still hasn’t been able to train with his Forge teammates since arriving in Hamilton from his native Belgium.

“When I got here I was even sicker,” Sabak told CanPL.ca. “The day after I got the test, I showed up to Forge training and they had shut it down.”

So, Sabak went home, and has stayed home. All he has seen of Hamilton is his street and a city park 300 metres away. As for getting out and seeing Hamilton, Sabak’s friends have recommended Hamilton’s many waterfalls.

“For me it’s new,” Sabak joked. “My family all say it looks like the movies – the movies based in North America, anyways.”

While offered a Hollywood-like streetscape, Sabak has been keeping in touch with family and friends in Belgium he left just two months ago, some of which stay up to 6 a.m. to speak to the 21-year-old.

“That has been great. They’ll stay up all night just to chat on the phone,” said Sabak, adding that being able to connect with his friends during this strenuous time has been crucial to keeping good mental health.

Down the road in York Region in York9 FC’s international house, Wataru Murofushi and newcomer Fugo Segawa have created quite a strong Japanese contingent – and a rare pairing of nationalities among CPL international players.

It has helped during this time of self-isolation, said Segawa, who is no stranger to moving countries. The 22-year-old left fullback has played in a number of different countries since moving to England at age 15.

“We’ve been adjusting well,” Segawa offered. “Being away from family makes it hard, but being able to be with another Japanese guy would help too. We can communicate in Japanese, which makes it somewhat easier.”

Murofushi, who played 1,700 minutes for Y9 across 23 appearances last year, said that Segawa’s addition to the squad has been a positive experience.

“There are difficulties, but you’d be without your families during [the season] anyways… It would be harder for other players for sure,” Murofushi said of his fellow Y9 international.

Erik Zetterberg spent just a few weeks in Alberta before FC Edmonton’s training camp was shuttered, and just after he received the keys to his new apartment. The 23-year-old Swede has kept a close eye on the family in his native country, which has been hit hard by the COVID-19 epidemic.

“You know people who are in risk zones who will have a bit of a struggle if they get it, so you start thinking of family members back home,” Zetterberg said. “All the time you have for yourself, after a while, it gets to be a lot.”

The quarantine hasn’t been all bad for Zetterberg, who has taken this newfound free time to tweak his training. His latest quarantine experiment has seen him implementing more vegan meals into his diet in order to gain an edge this season, whenever it may kick off.

“You have a lot of time to just think about stuff that might benefit you. I’m also getting really good at some video games,” he joked, after making the semifinals of the eCPL Home To Play tournament.

Now 6,000 kms away from home, Zetterberg – like Segawa, Murofushi, and Sabak – Zetterberg is biding his time before the CPL begins again.

“It is what it is,” he summarized.

He added: “It’s the same for everybody, so it’s not going to get better if you just complain about it.”