Juventus defender Daniele Rugani, the first Italian top-flight soccer player diagnosed with COVID-19, on Monday said that he was “doing well” and hoped his case “served to sensitize everyone” to the illness.
“I’m fine, I reassure everyone. I’ve always been quite well, I haven’t had any serious symptoms. I consider myself lucky,” Rugani told Juventus TV.
The 25-year-old Italy international was diagnosed on Wednesday last week, with the Turin club saying that he was asymptomatic.
Photo: AP
Since then a total of 11 Serie A players have being diagnosed with the illness.
“There was a huge media explosion right away. A lot of people wrote to me and I thank them,” said Rugani, who was self-isolating in a room at the team’s J-Hotel, beside the Italian champions’ training center. “I hope it served to raise awareness, especially those who had not understood the seriousness of this problem.”
“I’m going to get over it, we’re going to get by and I hope we’ll all come out even stronger,” he said. “The quarantine is tough, even more so because you are alone, so I can’t wait to embrace all my loved ones.”
In Spain, La Liga side Valencia said more than a third of their playing and backroom staff have tested positive for COVID-19, but that all the cases were asymptomatic.
The club had reported five cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, with Argentina’s Ezequiel Garay and France’s Eliaquim Mangala both confirming they were among those who had contracted the coronavirus.
“Several further tests for the COVID-19 coronavirus amongst Valencia coaching staff and players have come back positive,” the club said in a statement.
Valencia traveled to Milan, Italy, last month for a UEFA Champions League match against Atalanta BC played at a packed San Siro.
“Despite the strict measures adopted by the club after the Champions League game ... these latest results show the exposure inherent in such matches has caused a positive test rate of about 35 percent,” the statement said. “All cases are asymptomatic and those involved are currently isolated at home, receiving medical assessment and carrying out their scheduled training plan.”
ADVANTAGE ATLETICO: Well off the pace in La Liga, the Copa del Rey represents Atletico Madrid’s best chance of silverware this season Atletico Madrid on Thursday hammered Copa del Rey holders Barcelona 4-0 in the first leg of their semi-final. After an Eric Garcia own-goal sent Diego Simeone’s side ahead early on, Antoine Griezmann, Ademola Lookman and Julian Alvarez struck to give Atletico a landslide lead by halftime. Barca defender Garcia was sent off in the final stages, with Atletico maintaining their significant advantage on the record 32-time winners, which they take into the second leg at the Camp Nou on March 3. Both sides missed good chances in the second half, with Barca’s Pau Cubarsi having a goal disallowed before Garcia was sent off
Stade Rennais, four days after firing coach Habib Beye, stunned Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 on Friday, snapping the defending champions’ seven-match winning run in French Ligue 1. Second-placed RC Lens could leapfrog the champions and retake top spot last night after press time if they beat Paris FC in the capital. PSG started brightly, with Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue carving openings to no avail. Rennes fired Beye on Monday and promoted his assistant Sebastien Tambouret, and the same players who had lost four games on the bounce seemed transformed. Jordanian forward Mousa al-Tamari bagged the opener, unleashing a fierce strike
Dasun Shanaka hammered the fastest half-century by a Sri Lankan in T20Is as the cohosts thrashed Oman by 105 runs at the World Cup yesterday in Pallekele, Sri Lanka, for their second win in Group B. The 2014 champions piled up 225-5, the highest total of the tournament, before restricting an outclassed Oman to 120-9. The 43-year-old Mohammad Nadeem waged a lone battle for Oman, compiling an unbeaten 53 to become the oldest player to score a 50 in T20 World Cups. Having promoted himself up the order and under pressure to deliver, Sri Lanka skipper Shanaka smashed a 19-ball half-century. It has been
Manchester City FC halved Arsenal FC’s lead at the top of the Premier League with a 3-0 home defeat of Fulham FC, and Aston Villa FC stayed in the frame with a late 1-0 victory at home to Brighton and Hove Albion FC on Wednesday. Nottingham Forest FC squandered a chance to put some distance between themselves and the bottom three as they drew 0-0 at home to bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers FC. Second-from-bottom Burnley FC pulled off a remarkable 3-2 comeback win over Crystal Palace FC to boost their slender survival hopes. City have little margin for error in their pursuit
RSS