DORTMUND • Borussia Dortmund yesterday insisted the Bundesliga's health and safety protocols were not breached when six of their players, including England international Jadon Sancho, posed for photos without wearing masks while getting their hair cut this week.

The £100 million-rated (S$176 million) Sancho, 20, who is expected to be one of the most sought-after players when the transfer window opens, and his teammates took photos with their hairdresser.

However, they did not wear masks, which goes against the league's enhanced guidelines to minimise the risk of contracting Covid-19.

"He should not have done it," Dortmund sports director Michael Zorc said of Sancho, who scored the first hat-trick of his career in Sunday's 6-1 rout of Paderborn, during a virtual news conference.

"We were all young once, 18, 19, 20. In this current special situation, it is not only the coach and the coaching staff, but the entire club that has to be careful with discipline.

"We have talked to all those involved and they assured us that all hygiene guidelines regarding visitors were adhered to.

"Only for the photo were the masks taken off. That is something that should not have happened, of course."

The German top flight became the first major sports competition to restart behind closed doors on May 16 after a break of more than two months due to the coronavirus pandemic. There is a seven-point gap between leaders Bayern Munich and second-placed Dortmund (60) with five games remaining.

REUTERS