Former Juve president Giovanni Cobolli Gigli believes the decision to let the Portuguese head home to Madeira prompted other players to leave.

Photo by Getty/Instagram.com/katiaaveiroofficial

Cristiano Ronaldo has been criticised by former Juventus president Giovanni Cobolli Gigli over his actions in the coronavirus pandemic, with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner considered to have “complicated” matters.

The Portuguese was allowed to head back to his native Madeira before public life in Italy shut down, with the Juve squad placed in quarantine once it was revealed that Daniele Rugani had tested positive for Covid-19.

Ronaldo had been freed by then to return to his homeland after seeing his mother suffer a stroke – Maria Dolores has since been released from hospital and is continuing her recovery in a private medical facility, with her son allowed to turn his attention elsewhere.

Gigli claims the 35-year-old is now more concerned with “taking pictures by the pool” and has set an unfortunate precedent that is making it difficult for other sports stars to be contained.

The likes of Gonzalo Higuain, Miralem Pjanic and Douglas Costa have also been released from the Juve camp to join their respective families around the world.

“Things at Juventus got complicated when Cristiano Ronaldo left,” Gigli told Radio Punto Nuovo.

“He said he was going to Portugal because of his mother, but now he only appears to be taking pictures by the pool.

“When the exception was made for him, things fell apart and others wanted to leave but it shouldn’t have been like this.

“They all should have been quarantined.”

Gigli admits that Juventus have been forced into a corner when it comes to letting senior stars flee Italy.

He feels that the reigning Serie A champions will now find it difficult to get back up to speed once a return to competitive action is given a green light.

Those outside of Turin have been given individual training regimes, but they will be short of sharpness when returning to the Allianz Stadium and have to prove that they are not carriers of the coronavirus.

Gigli added: “Criticising now is easy, but from the outside I don’t know why players wanted to leave Italy.

“When they return it’ll be more difficult to get back in shape because they’ll have to stay in quarantine for 14 days.”

While Ronaldo’s actions have been questioned by Gigli, the iconic Portuguese has been doing his bit to tackle a global health crisis by donating €1 million (£920,000/$1.08 million) to help three intensive care units alongside his agent, Jorge Mendes .

Source – Goal.com

The Spanish Football Federation has made a fund of €500m (£457.43m) available in loans to help clubs experiencing financial difficulties because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales

The money, for LaLiga and Segunda Division teams, aims to guarantee the viability of clubs and ensure they are able to pay wages.

The federation is also making €4m (£3.6m) available for non-professional clubs and offering the services of its psychologists and physiotherapists for national health efforts along with the Spain national team’s hotel.

Federation president Luis Rubiales said: “Hopefully we can soon return to normality in all areas.

“We are working with the magnificent work of the territorial federations to solve problems. The words to which I want to appeal are unity, hope, rigour and discipline towards the victims, the authorities and society as a whole. Together we will defeat the virus.”

Football in Spain was suspended indefinitely earlier this week and the country’s death toll from the virus is now higher than any other except Italy.

Rubiales said the intention remained to complete the current season, saying: “Many voices will emerge and we have a voice from the beginning that says health first, then you have to finish the competitions when they can be resumed
and finally address what the next season will be like.

“We feel comfortable like this and we have broadcast to the clubs.

“We were quite cautious and not very optimistic about being able to play soon. We see it almost impossible to do so at the beginning of May – and I hope I’m wrong. We should consider starting to play games beyond June 30 and tackle the losses this causes with solutions.”

Source – Sky Sports

The Spaniard says the pressure on his shoulders became too much to bear towards the end of his time at Emirates Stadium.

Photo by Getty/Goal

Cesc Fabregas has revealed why he left Arsenal nine years ago, admitting to crying after defeats while naming Robin van Persie and Samir Nasri as the only players on his level “mentally and technically” at the time.

Arsene Wenger managed to snap up Fabregas as a youngster from Barcelona‘s famed La Masia academy in 2003, and he became the youngest player to appear for the first team in the club’s history a month after his arrival in north London.

The ex-Spain international went on to feature in 303 games across all competitions for the Gunners, becoming a favourite among supporters for his exceptional passing range, fierce passion and combative style in the middle of the park.

He was, however, unable to inspire tangible success in the form of trophies, with a solitary FA Cup triumph the only piece of major silverware he picked up during his nine-year stay at Arsenal.

Fabregas ended up returning to Barcelona in 2011, and later made his way back to the Premier League with Chelsea before moving to France, where he currently plies his trade with Monaco.

The 32-year-old has now opened up on his decision to walk away from Emirates Stadium, insisting he started to feel “lonely” at a time when Arsenal were no longer competing with the elite on domestic or European fronts.

“I was the captain, I always felt so much pressure on myself,” Fabregas told Arseblog . “I had to lead this team to win something. I gave everything. Sometimes, I used to go home after we lost and I used to cry.

“I used to suffer, I used to spend sleepless nights suffering. And then you lose a game, you’re in the bus like this, destroyed, and then you hear some players laughing, thinking about where they will be going out later.

“This was going on for a few years. We were playing beautiful football and I enjoyed that side of things but I was putting pressure on myself to lead, to do everything and at one point I felt kind of lonely.

“Especially in the last two or three years, I felt Robin and Samir were the only players – it’s not an arrogant thing to say, it’s how I felt at that time – were the players who were at my level mentally and technically.

“Many things came in my head, I have to admit I was a bit empty, I was drained mentally, physically, in my soul knowing I’m giving everything, knowing a few signings the club could have made but didn’t happen.

“Seeing some behaviours from certain players or something like this made me feel I wanted to check something else. If it was not because of that, I would not have left Arsenal at that time.”

Source – Goal.com

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says he has fully recovered from coronavirus.

Mikel Arteta says it took him “three or four days” to start feeling better after contracting coronavirus

Spaniard Arteta, 37, became the first Premier League manager to test positive for the virus on 12 March.

He had reported feeling unwell after it was confirmed Evangelos Marinakis – the owner of Greek side Olympiakos, who played Arsenal in the Europa League in February – had coronavirus on 10 March.

Arteta said: “It took me three or four days to start feeling better, with more energy, to leave the symptoms behind.”

Speaking to Spanish television channel La Sexta, he added: “I am very well now. I feel that I have recovered.”

The Gunners’ players were due to report for training on Tuesday, after completing 14 days’ isolation following Arteta’s diagnosis, but their return has been postponed.

“As a result of the current situation, we are clear it would be inappropriate and irresponsible to ask players to come back at this time,” said the north London club in a statement.

“Therefore our men’s first team, women and academy players are all remaining at home. Stay at home and save lives.”

Several Arsenal players had gone into self-isolation after the news of Marinakis’ positive test, while the Gunners were due to face Manchester City at Etihad Stadium on 11 March.

Speaking on Sunday, Arteta added: “I got a call from the board of directors after training while I was in my car and they told me the president of Olympiakos had tested positive, and everyone who had been in contact was at risk.

“I went on to tell them that I wasn’t feeling well and that we had a situation because we had lots of players that had been in contact with them.

“We had a game against Manchester City the next day and obviously we couldn’t put lots of people at risk without saying anything.

“Obviously all those who had been in contact with me had to go into quarantine, and consequently games had to be suspended.”

Source – BBC News

The Argentine has helped fund Hospital Clinic which is both treating victims of the Covid-19 pandemic and researching the virus.

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Lionel Messi has made a reported donation of €1 million (£920,000/$1.08 million) to Hospital Clinic, a public hospital in Barcelona, to help combat the coronavirus pandemic.

The hospital confirmed Messi had made a donation on their official Twitter page, with Mundo Deportivo reporting the €1m figure.

Such a donation would match that of Messi’s former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola, who has given €1m towards the purchase and production of medical supplies and equipment with another Barcelona-based campaign.

Cristiano Ronaldo and agent Jorge Mendes have also donated €1m to fund intensive care units in hospitals in Lisbon and Porto.

A general statement from Hospital Clinic reads: “The Covid-19 pandemic is a health challenge that is being worked on with maximum coordination and effective healthcare, but it is also necessary to face the disease from the scientific perspective.

“The Clinic teams are committed to this fight and we appreciate all the donations that come our way.

“We will dedicate it to the multidisciplinary approach to infection with the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, both in terms of research, and in the care of patients and their families.

“The exceptional nature of the situation means that the institution will allocate the funds received to meet the identified needs and priorities.

“As always, in order to be transparent, the clinic will communicate to its donors in due course specifically where their donations have been allocated, how they have been used, and what the results have been.

“Each and every one of the contributions are important and add up.

“On behalf of all the Clinic workers, thank you!”

Spain has been hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak, with Barcelona no exception.

Messi’s team-mate Ivan Rakitic has said he knew the situation was going to get worse after Barca travelled to Italy to face Napoli in the Champions League.

“It hasn’t been a surprise,” he told Barca TV .

“We went to Naples. People were talking about it a lot in Italy and I said to Xavi (the team doctor) that this would get worse.

“Now it’s the best thing we can do [to stay at home].

“I would like to go out on the street and walk about, but it’s not necessary. We have to be indoors. I don’t like it, but it’s necessary and important.”

Source – Goal.com

UEFA has postponed the Champions League, Europa League and Women’s Champions League finals with no new dates arranged.

Liverpool beat Tottenham to win the Champions League last season

The three European showpiece club finals were all scheduled to be held in May but are the latest in a line of sporting events to be impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

UEFA announced last week Euro 2020, set to be held across 12 countries, was to be put on hold for twelve months in an effort to help finish the domestic league seasons across Europe.

A UEFA statement read: “No decision has yet been made on rearranged dates (for European finals).

“The working group, established last week as a result of the conference call among the stakeholders of European football, which was chaired by UEFA President, Aleksander Ceferin, will analyse the options available.

“The group has already begun its examination of the calendar. Announcements will be made in due course.”

European Leagues, which represents football leagues across the continent, says it is committed to completing European and domestic seasons by 30 June.

Manchester United are among three British teams left in the Europa League

Mini tournaments to decide the Champions League and Europa League this season were one of several options under consideration by European football’s governing body when they convened to discuss the impact of the coronavirus last Tuesday.

Manchester City and Chelsea remain in the Champions League but last season’s finalists Liverpool and Tottenham were both knocked out in the last 16.

Manchester United, Wolves and Rangers are all facing second-leg ties in the last 16 of Europe’s second biggest men’s club competition.

Arsenal and Glasgow City both remain at the last-eight stage of the Women’s Champions League.

Liverpool defeated Tottenham in the Champions League final last season, while in another all-English final Chelsea beat London rivals Arsenal in the Europa League final.

Lyon beat Barcelona to win a fourth consecutive Women’s Champions League title last year.

Source – Sky Sports

The Eastern European country is the last on the continent not to have called a halt to sporting events amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Former Arsenal and Barcelona star Alexander Hleb has tried to make light of the chaotic coronavirus situation in Belarus, suggesting Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo might make a move for more playing time as the country’s president refuses to call off football.

Indeed, while the majority of governments around the world have called a halt to their sports in an effort to contain the spread of the deadly Covid-19 pandemic, the Belarusian top tier went ahead as planned on Thursday, with Energetyk-BGU taking on BATE Borisov in a half-full stadium.

Hleb himself understands the severity of the otherwise worldwide state of emergency and has kept his family well isolated, and at first could only joke about the highly questionable decisions being made by controversial president Alexander Lukashenko.

“All the world now watches the Belarusian league,” Hleb told The Sun. “Everybody should go to their television and see us.

“When the NHL closed the season, a lot of ice hockey players went to Russia to play. Maybe Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo might come to the Belarus league to continue. You know?

“It’s the only place in Europe you can play football. At least then the people of Belarus will be happy.”

The Belarusian Premier League is the last league in Europe not to have suspended play until the coronavirus is under control, with the Turkish Super Lig having finally seen sense on Thursday and called a halt to league action.

And while many will continue to question why Belarus are ignoring the drastic steps taken by the majority of other countries around the globe, a look at some of president Lukashenko’s recent statements regarding Covid-19 goes some way to providing an explanation.

He said: “People are working in tractors, no one is talking about the virus. In the villages, the tractor will heal everyone. The fields heal everyone.”

Lukashenko is never far away from controversy it seems, having been quoted in the past saying “not everything about Hitler was bad” as well as making homophobic statements. Indeed, openly gay German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle referred to Lukashenko as “Europe’s last dictator”, to which the latter’s response was: “better to be a dictator than gay”.

Sources have claimed as recently as last Thursday that Belarus sits at at least 51 confirmed Covid-19 cases, but Lukashenko remains staunch in his assessment that “Belarusians do not suffer the same psychosis as those in Western Europe”.

Hleb, however, is taking a more cautious approach than his country’s leader, adding: “The coronavirus has closed the Champions League and the Europa League. This is good, because you have to try and stop it. UEFA have done the right thing.

“But in Belarus, it’s like no one cares. It’s incredible. Maybe in one week or two weeks we will stop here. Maybe our President is just waiting to see what happens with the virus.

“Everybody here knows what’s happened to Italy and Spain. It doesn’t look good. But in our country, people in the presidential administration believe it’s not as extreme as the news says.

“A lot of young people and students here think like this. I’m keeping at home with my family. But when I go out, the streets and restaurants are still busy. They just don’t care. I care about my health and my family. I’m keeping to minimum contact.

“It’s very difficult to explain our country. All leagues have closed but we don’t seem to think it’s a problem. Why? I don’t know.”

Source – Goal.com

The Serbian is facing possible punishment for breaking coronarivus quarantine regulations, but he is considered to have been cleared to head home.

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Luka Jovic broke coronavirus quarantine protocol at Real Madrid, with the Serbian striker opting to head home during a period of self-isolation, and his father admits “if he has to go to jail, then he goes”.

Milan Jovic is, however, adamant that his son has done nothing wrong.

The Blancos star had cleared all medical tests before taking the decision to return to his homeland to celebrate his girlfriend’s birthday.

He should, however, have been at home when travelling out of Spain, with the Madrid camp having shut down after a basketball player on the club’s books tested positive for Covid-19.

Jovic is now facing the threat of government-enforced punishment, but his father expects the 22-year-old to be let off the hook before drastic action is taken.

“Luka had two tests done and he tested negative on both,” Milan Jovic told Puls Online.

“That’s why he thought he could come to Serbia. Now it seems like he’s a major criminal. If he has to go to jail, then he goes.

“I’m totally in agreement with the [Serbian] president and prime minister [for threatening criminal charges], but only if he’s guilty.

“I would support that decision if he’d done something wrong, but he arrived in Belgrade and stayed at home.

“[His girlfriend] Sofia is pregnant and she couldn’t go out [to celebrate her birthday]. Some photos have emerged of the two out having fun, but they were from Spain.”

Jovic has already attempted to curb the furore surrounding his actions in a post on his personal Instagram account.

He said: “Since the situation in the world and in our country is very difficult, I have to come forward and give support to my people.

“First of all, I am very sorry that I am the main topic these days and that I am constantly being written about, not the heroes of this crisis, doctors and all the medical professionals.

“While in Spain, I [tested] negative for coronavirus and decided to come to Serbia to help and support our people and be close to my family, in agreement with the officials.

“When I landed in Serbia, I was once again tested and coronavirus negative.

“It is very unfortunate for me that some people did their job unprofessionally and did not give me the correct instructions for how to behave in self-isolation.

“In Spain, I was allowed to go to a pharmacy and a supermarket so that I could get the groceries I needed, which is not the case here.

“I apologise to all the people if I compromised them in some way and I hope that we can manage to get through all this together. Support Serbia and let’s stick together.”

Source – Goal.com

Former Real Madrid president Lorenzo Sanz died on Saturday after being taken to hospital with coronavirus.

Real Madrid won the Champions League twice when Lorenzo Sanz was president

Sanz, 76, was president at the Bernabeu from 1995-2000, a period in which Real won the Champions League twice.

“My father has just died,” wrote Sanz’s son Lorenzo Sanz Duran on Twitter.

“He did not deserve this end in this manner. One of the best, most courageous and hard working people I have seen in my life. His family and Real Madrid were his passion.”

Sanz signed players such as Roberto Carlos, Clarence Seedorf and Davor Suker during his time in charge of the 33-time Spanish champions,

He lost the 2000 presidential election to Florentino Perez, which sparked Real’s big-spending ‘Galatico’ era.

Sanz’s son Fernando, 46, played for Real Madrid from 1996-1999 before spending the final seven years of his career at Malaga.

Source – BBC News

The Wales international and England duo are among several stars who will headline a competition that hopes to contribute in combating the pandemic.

Photo by Getty composite

Gareth Bale, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Jordan Pickford are among the footballers set to play in a FIFA 20 tournament livestreamed around the world to help raise funds to fight Covid-19.

The Wales international and England duo headline a star-studded list of players who will be involved in the Combat Corona initiative, which will see them swap stadiums for screens as they square off in aid of several charities combating the coronavirus pandemic around the globe.

Alongside Real Madrid man Bale, other names include Loftus-Cheek’s Chelsea colleagues Mason Mount and Billy Gilmour, Manchester United pair Luke Shaw and Daniel James, Pickford’s Everton team-mate Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Arsenal star Kieran Tierney, with more hoped to join in the coming weeks.

With much of the world on lockdown following the suspension of virtually all major sporting activity across the globe, leading lights from across football have been mulling over how to help in the struggle against Covid-19, with cases having topped 300,000 this week and the fatality count steadily rising.

The FIFA tournament, which will be broadcast on Twitch and has been organised by esports company 38 Entertainment in conjunction with Bale, is one way in which players hope to be able help contribute, with a celebrity host set to be announced in due course and Q&As alongside matches.

“During this difficult time, I want to give back and try to help in any way I can,” Bale revealed in a statement. “#CombatCorona is a great initiative that hopefully helps the fight against coronavirus and whilst at the same time, entertain those who are unable to leave their homes. If we all do our part we can beat this together.”

38 Entertainment co-founder Jonathan Kark echoed his sentiments, adding: “We are really excited to be supporting the fight against Covid-19 with the launch of Combat Corona.

“Elite footballers are giving their time and efforts to entertain millions of fans during the quiet period of sport and more importantly inspire them to donate to support the most vulnerable in our communities.”

Questions continue over whether the current domestic football season will be completed across Europe as teams hope to avoid bringing an enforced close to their campaigns.

Source – Goal.com