Five Barcelona players 'tested positive for coronavirus' - but club kept results hidden

In this file photo taken on May 06, 2018 A general view shows the Spanish league football match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid CF at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on May 6, 2018 [COURTESY]

Five Barcelona players tested positive for coronavirus but the news was not made public, according to reports.

Catalan radio station RAC1 made the claim this week as Barcelona prepare to return to action on June 13.

The quintet were not named but it is understood they tested positive for the disease back when the Covid-19 crisis first started.

Neither of the five players showed any symptoms and were only made aware to the fact they had the disease once they underwent tests.

Two members of staff are also believed to have tested positive for coronavirus but Barcelona felt it was the responsibility of La Liga to make that information public, reports AS.

The La Liga leaders are concerned that the five players who suffered from coronavirus will be more injury prone, however they are all believed to be back in training.

RAC1's claims have since been backed up by Spanish football programme El Chiringuito de Jugones.

La Liga restarts with the Andalusian derby on June 11 before the Catalans take on Real Mallorca two days later.

They have a two-point lead over Real Madrid in second despite losing to Los Blancos shortly before lockdown.

Spain has been one of the worst hit nations by the global pandemic with around 240,000 confirmed cases and over 27,000 deaths.

And Barcelona star Lionel Messi has admitted that life - and football - will not be the same.

"Nearly all of us have the doubt about how the world will be after everything that has happened,' he told El Pais Semanal.