Juventus players back training awaiting quarantined Ronaldo
06 May, 2020
Giorgio Chiellini led just how as Juventus players returned to individual training at the team’s sports centre on Tuesday, while Cristiano Ronaldo began two weeks’ coronavirus quarantine after time for Italy.
Captain Chiellini, 35, arrived early with Italy defender Leonardo Bonucci, wearing a black nose and mouth mask, just after midfielder Aaron Ramsey. Playmaker Miralem Pjanic showed up in the afternoon, along with Juan Cuadrado, Mattia De Sciglio, Federico Bernardeschi and Daniele Rugani.
Serie A champions Juve said the training sessions, which are allowed because of Sunday’s green light from the Italian interior ministry, “will need place on an individual basis and with staggered arrivals to permit full compliance with the regulations in force”.
“After a day of tests and exams completed yesterday at J Medical, a number of the Juventus players started training at the Continassa Training Centre, where they officially started their recovery to regain competitive form,” Juve added.
Ronaldo’s return is more uncertain after 8 weeks of confinement on his native island of Madeira, having played in Juventus’ last match against Inter Milan on March 8 nowadays.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner returned along with his family to Turin by private jet late on Monday, and is in quarantine awaiting tests.
The inside ministry’s go-ahead has allowed players to come back to club training facilities fourteen days ahead of schedule, supplying a glimmer of hope that the 2019-20 season might yet be saved.
And also Juventus, top-flight clubs Atalanta, Bologna and Udinese also returned to training on Tuesday, with Sassuolo and Lecce leading the way on Monday.
But sports minister Vincenzo Spadafora warned trained in groups must wait until May 18, and it remains uncertain whether matches can restart as the united states battles the COVID-19 pandemic which has killed a lot more than 29,000 in Italy. - ‘Surreal’ -
“A realistic prediction could be manufactured in mid-May,” Spadafora said in an interview with newspaper Corriere della Sera on Tuesday, denying he wished to call a halt to the growing season.
“It would be surreal for a sports minister to demonise football,” he said after a newspaper created a front-page picture of him with a dagger about to burst a ball, with the headline “Attack on Football”.
“I hope to start again, however the government will decide … There is absolutely no opposition from me, just the desire to evaluate a restart only when the fitness of the people within the team group will be safeguarded.
“If the federal government is forced, and I am hoping not, to admit that the conditions (had a need to resume) aren't there, my commitment will be twofold - limit the financial damage to clubs and support the whole world of sport.
“Between ordinary and extraordinary resources, we will invest about one billion euros ($1.08 billion) for the sector as a whole.”
A gathering has been scheduled for Thursday between your Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and members of the government’s Technical Scientific Committee to discuss the medical protocol for the resumption of group training.
European federations have a deadline of May 25 to see UEFA if their league will resume, and if so on what date and using what format.
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